Hope's Peak: The Ultimate Detective and the Ultimate Hope
by WiiFan2009
Summary: In entering Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto Naegi the Ultimate Lucky Student meets Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. They soon find themselves thrust into a dangerous killing game by the sadistic Monokuma. Will the two unlikely allies learn to trust each other enough to cooperate and survive? *Novelization of Danganronpa 1, but focused on Makoto and Kyoko interaction*
1. Prologue

A/N: This is my first stab at a Danganronpa fiction. It's mainly going to focus on the interactions between Makoto and Kyoko during the first game. There will be one chapter per game chapter, so I anticipate there will be about 8 chapters of this fiction. I'm not going to promise any update schedule; whenever it gets updated, it gets updated. Enjoy!

Hope's Peak: The Ultimate Detective and the Ultimate Hope

Prologue

 _What? Where...where am I?_

A boy with messy brown hair drowsily raised his head off of the wooden desk, trying to get a sense of where he was.

 _I remember walking into Hope's Peak, then nothing…_

He looked around and observed that he was in a classroom with a blackboard at the front, yellow and orange spotted walls, surveillance cameras, and metal plates covering the windows. He felt a shiver of dread tingle down his spine as he thought about the cameras and the metal plates. Still bewildered, he looked at the clock in front of him, and blanched at the time.

"Agh! It's 8:00 already? I'd better get to the main hall!"

He rushed out the door, finding himself in a purple hallway.

"Hello?!"

All he could hear though was his own echo reverberate through the corridor. Perplexed, he decided to walk through the halls, trying every door he could access. To his dismay, every door was locked tight.

"Ok, this is strange. Why would a school have its classrooms locked?"

Eventually he came across an open doorway with a green stick figure above the entrance. He beamed at a possible lead.

 _Could this be the main hall? One way to find out…_

Gathering his courage, he stepped into the doorway. On the other side, he saw a circular metal door with a group of students centered around it. After being greeted by one of the other students, he shyly spoke to everyone "Um...hi. My name's Makoto Naegi."

After some fuss from some of the others about how it wasn't the time for introductions, everyone started to introduce themselves to Makoto. They all seemed friendly and odd in their own way, but one student in particular stuck out to him. Makoto slowly walked up to a stoic girl with lavender hair and piercing purple eyes. He held out his hand and started "Um...hi."

The girl however remained silent, as though unwilling to acknowledge Makoto. He decided to try again.

"Um...can I ask you your name?"

After a brief pause, without even turning to face Makoto, the girl quietly answered "My name is Kyoko Kirigiri."

Since she refused to shake his hand, Makoto let it drop and tried to make small talk.

"Um...so what are you doing at this school?"

At this, Kyoko turned her head just enough to glare in his direction, retorting "What's that supposed to mean?"

At this Makoto, stepped back and waved his hands frantically, trying to do damage control since he had inadvertently offended the stoic student.

"Oh no no, I didn't mean anything by it, honest! I just meant...getting invited here means you're some kind of ultimate something, right? So what ultimate something are you?"

Finding his attempts at making small talk amusing, she smirked and retorted "Why should I tell you?"

 _Um...because I want to get ot know my classmates…_

"Well, I guess you don't have to tell me..."

Kyoko smirked again and replied "No, I don't have to tell you. So I'm not going to."

 _Wow, talk about Fort Knox…_

Makoto watched as she walked away, finding himself both frustrated and intrigued by Kyoko Kirigiri.

 _Why on earth is that girl so secretive?_

Makoto huffed and went back to making small talk with the other students with varied success. Just as they began discussing the mystery of how they all ended up unconscious without any of their possessions, a childish voice rang through the halls.

"To all incoming students, I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience."

Makoto felt a chill of dread envelop him during the announcement. He didn't know who wa son the other end of that speaker, but he could tell that it was someone he should be very afraid of. It was a sentiment everyone else seemed to share. While a handful of students had left, most were still paralyzed with indecision until Kyoko spoke up.

"Just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?"

The Ultimate Martial Artist Sakura concurred, and everyone else mumbled their agreement.

 _I guess she's right. But I'm still kinda...no, I'm really nervous._

Trying to overcome his nerves, Makoto asked "They said to go to the gym, right?"

Kyoko nodded and walked off. Makoto soon followed, not wanting to be left alone. The shy, nervous boy closely tailed Kyoko as they walked through the purple hallway to the gymnasium. She noticed Makoto following her like an obedient puppy, but said nothing. For Makoto's part, despite how her stoic nature was socially off putting, in the face of such uncertainty and potential danger, her iron mask gave Makoto a sense of security.

It wasn't until they reached the yellow room between the hallway and the gym that she turned on her heel and faced Makoto. He gulped in nervousness and fear. Kyoko took pity on him and rested her hand on his shoulder, causing Makoto to look up in surprise. Her purple eyes glowed with a hint of warmth as she spoke to him.

"Relax, Makoto. Take a deep breath. I know how you feel, but...all we can do now is check it out, right?"

Makoto's fears were by no means alleviated, but he could feel the pressure lessening with her words. He nodded and breathed in before walking in the gymnasium, Kyoko following behind him.

As soon as everybody was standing in the gymnasium, the doors slammed shut, making Makoto jump. Before he could shout, a black and white teddy bear with half of a terrifying grin jumped onto the podium, startling Makoto.

 _A teddy bear?_

Then, as if by magic, the teddy bear came to life, speaking with a voice that left Makoto quaking.

"I know what you're all thinking and no, I'm not a high-tech Build-a-Bear reject. I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster. Nice to meet ya!"

 _My god; it's the voice from the announcement!_

Makoto quietly shuffled into Kyoko's shadow, trying to use her stoic aura as a shield against Monokuma's fear inducing voice. Kyoko huffed at Kyoko's cowardice and rolled her eyes but otherwise said nothing. Monokuma then went into a short speech about how all the students would live at Hope's Peak for the rest of their lives. Everyone was baffled and except for Makoto and Kyoko, complained. Makoto for his part shook with fear.

 _Forever? But then...Mom...Dad...Komaru...I'd never see them again?_

Makoto felt like crying; to be permanently separated from his family, it was the worst torture he could possibly imagine. Before tears could flow however, he perked up at Monokuma's revelation that there was one way to be able to leave.

"You must kill someone if you want to leave."

Makoto blanched at the revelation. He suddenly wished he hadn't gotten his hopes up.

 _To kill? To...murder? What kind of madman puts that in a handbook?_

Makoto felt like crying again. Mondo on the other hand had a different approach. He charged at Monokuma and grabbed him around the neck, shouting about how he'd rip him apart. Monokuma ranted back about how violence against him was a violation of school rules, but then went silent, a rhythmic beeping replacing his childlike voice.

While everyone else was confused as to what was going on, Kyoko's purple eyes widened in realization as she shouted to Mondo "Watch out! Get rid of it! Hurry up and throw it!"

Stunned at her authoritative presence, Mondo quickly threw Monokuma up in the air, just in time for it to explode a safe distance away. Makoto quaked in fear and instinctively wrapped his arms around the nearest person he could find for safety. In this case; Kyoko. Kyoko huffed again but didn't force him off of her.

 _With all that's been happening, I can't exactly blame the boy for acting scared…_

Makoto started to hyperventilate from the panic rising in him.

 _At least...at least now Monokuma is destroyed…_

Alas, his relief was short-lived, for another Monokuma immediately jumped out, filling Makoto with fear and causing him to tighten his grip on Kyoko. Monokuma then went on to explain with glee about how future rule violations would be dealt with much more violently. With a lot of fanfare, the robotic bear then disappeared, leaving everyone with their thoughts and their new handbooks.

Makoto whimpered in fear and distress at everything that had been revealed. For Kyoko on the other hand, her patience had run out with Makoto's clinging. She finally forced Makoto off of her and exclaimed "Everyone, we need to just calm down."

Makoto winced as he hit the ground, getting the sense that despite her saying everyone, the remark was mostly aimed towards him.

Kyoko paced and continued "First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choices. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a communal life together until we die. And the other choice is..."

Makoto didn't need everyone's exclamations to feel the dread from the obvious answer. He looked around at everyone, dread and despair flowing through his body.

 _This...this is real, isn't it? Am...am I going to die here?_


	2. Chapter One: To Survive

Chapter One: To Survive

It was Kyoko who broke the silence caused by Monokuma's deadly words.

"So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?"

She cut through the tension like it was butter and brought everyone back to their senses. Everyone decided to look through their handbooks in order to understand what the rules were and form a plan for escape. After some more back-and-forth, everyone decided to search the grounds for food and possible escape routes.

 _Alright...maybe if we all work together, we can find a way out of here without doing what Monokuma wants!_

That fragile camaraderie was broken however by Byakuya's four words.

"I'll be going alone."

He brought up the point that searching alone would be best in order to minimize his chances of being killed by another student.

 _Come on man; it hasn't even been ten minutes here. Surely we can trust each other longer than that…_

To make things worse, his attitude riled up the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Mondo, who had been put off by Byakuya's snotty attitude and was ten seconds away from starting a fight with the Ultimate Prodigy. Abandoning all sense of self-preservation, Makoto tried to step in, interjecting "Wait, guys! The last thing we need to do is fight!"

Kyoko watched with concern as watched Makoto try to cool down the tensions.

 _Makoto, you're either really brave or really foolish. Or both…_

Her fears turned out to be warranted, as Mondo turned his rage on Makoto and sent him flying into the wall with a single punch. Kyoko shook her head at Makoto's foolishness. Unfortunately, Mondo wasn't placated just yet.

"What, you finished already? Weren't you going to lecture me about teamwork and stuff? Get back up, you..."

"Stop..."

Her authoritative voice made Mondo pause and dissipated his rage. He watched as Kyoko calmly walked over to Makoto's still body and placed her fingers gently on her wrist while closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she lifted her hand off of Makoto and turned to glare at Mondo, making the otherwise tough biker quake in fear.

"You're incredibly lucky that punch only knocked Makoto out. If he had died, then we would all have been witness to your crime, and nobody would have graduated."

Mondo stood there, stunned at how he close he had come to killing another student. It was then that the Ultimate Pop Star, Sayaka, spoke up.

"Sakura? Could you please carry Makoto to someplace where he can recuperate."

The Ultimate Martial Artist nodded and lifted the fragile Makoto into her arms, walking out of the gymnasium with her temporary cargo. Kyoko smiled briefly for a second, reflecting on the boy's bravery at trying to stop an inevitable fight.

 _Perhaps he's not as cowardly as I thought. I may have to revise my opinion about him…_

Turning to everyone else, she announced "Now with that little detail taken care of, we should split up and search this floor; we'll be able to cover more ground that way."

She then turned on her heel and walked away.

"Form whichever teams you like. I think I'll take Byakuya's lead and go alone. I search best by myself anyways."

Her boots left earthquakes in everyone's ears as she left the gymnasium, leaving the other students to their thoughts.

XXX

Makoto entered the dining hall with Sayaka at his right. The self-proclaimed assistant led Makoto over to the table where Mondo sheepishly apologized for hitting him in the gymnasium. Makoto smiled and waved it off, understanding how everyone was on edge with the current situation. The Ultimate Moral Compass Kiyotaka then called the meeting to order, and everyone shared what they had found out after scouring the first floor.

 _Okay, so we each have our own room, it's completely soundproof, there seems to be no escape from the first floor, and we have a seemingly infinite supply of food. At least we'll have privacy and won't go hungry..._

It was then that the conversation derailed and everyone started yelling at each other, causing Makoto to shake his head.

 _Come on guys, if we can't survive an hour without getting on each other's nerves, we'll be playing right into Monokuma's hands!_

"You're spending an awful lot of time yelling and carrying on."

The amused voice caused everyone to silence as they turned their heads to the entrance. Kyoko walked in, finally making her entrance.

 _Oh yeah; Kyoko wasn't here when the meeting started. I wonder where she went off to…_

"Do you really think you can afford to do so? Have none of you accepted the reality of the situation?"

Makoto watched in awe as the stoic girl was unfazed by Kiyotaka's scolding of her tardiness.

 _Wow, nothing fazes her…_

She responded merely by withdrawing a sheet of paper from her jacket and sliding it on the table, like someone handling a poker card.

"A map? Kyoko, where did you find this?"

"It doesn't matter where I found it. Just look at it. The building we're in right now is laid out in precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy."

"So this really is Hope's Peak Academy?"

 _Oh no; if I had known that this is what it was, I would have just torn that invitation into a million pieces…_

"Well, in terms of construction, yes. But it looks like it's had a number of strange...renovations done to it."

"So, by renovations, do you mean the giant metal door at the entrance and the metal plates over the doors that even Sakura couldn't move?"

"It's possible. I don't know all the details yet. All I found was details about the 1st floor."

 _And if this floor received renovations...it stands to reason that the upper floors may have as well…_

 _Makoto Naegi...he may appear cowardly at first glance, but he possesses the inner strength and quick thinking needed to adapt to our ever-changing imprisonment. I'm expecting great things from you…_

Everyone had come to the sad realization that this was actually Hope's Peak and started panicking. Celeste then urged everyone to adapt to their imprisonment and proposed that nobody leave their rooms after 10 PM so that everyone's nerves would be as calm as possible. The motion was readily agreed to.

 _Makes sense. It's not like most of us want to be up late, so it's a good safety measure to calm our nerves._

At that point, Celeste left the dining hall, and everyone else soon followed suit, leaving Makoto and Sayaka alone in the dining hall.

XXX

The next couple of days passed by with little incident; Makoto spent time with Sayaka as they moved a golden sword into his room for self-defense. On their way back, Sayaka noticed the far-off expression on his face and inquired "Makoto, is something the matter?"

Makoto blushed and shook his head, assuring Sayaka that he was fine. In truth, he had run into Kyoko earlier at breakfast which made him remember how he had clung to her like a scared toddler in the gymnasium.

 _She probably thinks I'm a total creep now. I should go apologize..._

That was how Kyoko had caught him staring at her. Intrigued, she walked up to him and said "Good morning. Did you need something?"

Makoto could only stay silent, not having thought of actually how to apologize, or form a coherent sentence since she caught him off guard.

Kyoko sighed and walked away from him, muttering "Well then..."

As she disappeared from sight, he could still hear her muttering "Why is Hope's Peak like this? Very bizarre..."

And that left Makoto, carrying a golden sword with the help of Sayaka Maizono. After placing it on a counter, Sayaka bid her goodbyes and they both went to sleep.

Luckily the next morning would yield better luck for Makoto. After breakfast, he ran into Kyoko who noticed him.

"Um...Kyoko?"

"Makoto. Did you need something from me?"

This time however, Makoto was prepared with what he wanted to say.

 _I'd better be. I spent all of last night reciting it…_

"Listen, about the other day in the gymnasium, I just wanted to say I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? About what?"

Kyoko was honestly intrigued; Makoto had struck her as an honest, if occasionally foolish boy who was friendly with everyone.

 _What on earth does he feel the need to be sorry for…_

"I mean about how I grabbed you in the gymnasium. I shouldn't have been in your proximity and clung to you like that. But I'm not a creep, HONEST, I was just really scared and..."

Kyoko couldn't help it; she started giggling, her glove failing to muffle her laughter. At last she got her giggles under control and waved her hand, leaving Makoto standing there dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry, Makoto. I'm just laughing because there's no need for an apology."

Her smile settling back into the same neutral expression she always had, she continued "It might have been uncomfortable at first, but we're all on edge. Most of what everyone else has done or said has been largely due to stress, and you are no exception. I'm not mad, and I don't think you're a creep. It's all water under the bridge, okay?"

Makoto beamed, grateful for Kyoko's forgiveness and nodded. Kyoko then turned around.

"Now if that's everything, I must be off. Good day, Makoto."

Makoto watched as she walked away from him, one weight off of his shoulders.

 _Well, at least all's forgiven. And she finally smiled at me, so we might be friends yet!_

As she walked further from his view, Kyoko let her mind wander to their present predicament.

"Who set all this up? And why did they choose us? There are so many mysteries..."

As she entered her room, the smallest of smiles peeked through as her mind wandered to Makoto's apologetic antics.

 _It's not every day someone can make me crack a smile without trying. I'll have to be careful around Makoto Naegi…_

XXX

Makoto yawned as he walked into the Dining Hall, having been rudely awakened by Kiyotaka.

 _For goodness' sake, Kiyotaka, couldn't you have waited just 30 more minutes for us to actually be awake?_

He spotted Kyoko in one of the corners with her typical, stoic, and awake face. Makoto felt a hint of jealousy at how unfatigued she was.

 _What is she, a vampire or something? How else could she not be yawning this early like the rest of us?_

Everyone soon became seated at the table, with Sayaka seated at his right and Kyoko seated at his left.

"Taka looks pretty impatient. We'd better get this started already..."

With that, Kiyotaka made the suggestion that everyone eat together every morning to build friendship. Though a couple of students complained, the topic quickly advanced to who the mastermind might be, with Chihiro speculating whether Genocide Jack might be behind it. As everyone bristled at the idea, Aoi changed the topic, expressing hope that the police would be looking for them by now.

"HA! You're putting your faith in the police?"

Monokuma then popped out of nowhere, causing Aoi to shriek.

 _Eh, he's done that so many times now it's lost shock value._

Monokuma then went on about how bored he was that nobody had started to kill each other yet.

"Of course we haven't; we're not savages. There's nothing you can say that'll start making us kill each other..."

At that moment, Monokuma exclaimed in epiphany about how everything was perfect, except for a preexisting motive.

 _Why did I open my big mouth?_

Monokuma then instructed everyone to go to the A/V room in order to watch a video he had made for them.

"Good, then we can go watch the video right now. But before we do that, I'd like to know…" Kyoko turned her glare to the psychotic bear. "What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?"

Monokuma grinned and replied "Despair." Before leaving the students, Monokuma finished "Do whatever you need to to uncover the mystery hidden within this school. I won't try and stop you."

He then vanished and left everyone to their devices. Sayaka moaned about how he left before they could find out anything useful.

Kyoko's eyes twinkled as she retorted "Really? I think we learned something very useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting…"

After some minor debate, it was decided that Makoto and Sayaka would preview the video first before everyone else. As they left, Makoto noticed the twinkle in Kyoko's eye, confused at such an out-of-place expression in these circumstances.

 _Have you figured something out, Kyoko? If you have, why won't you tell us…_

XXX

Makoto felt like his entire world had been turned upside down. By that point, everyone had seen their DVDs, and with the exception of Kyoko, everyone had the same look of despair and fear on their faces. Sayaka was the worst off, who ran out of the room the second Makoto tried to comfort her.

Unsure of what to do, he started pacing, coming to a halt after he heard Kyoko mumbling "I see...So this is what he meant by motive. He wants to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other."

"Um...Kyoko?"

She opened her eyes at the question and turned to the shaken boy.

"What is it, Makoto?"

"It's just well...I was wondering what Monokuma put on your DVD..."

Kyoko turned away from him and retorted "Why should I tell you?"

"It's just well...all of us were pretty shaken up by them, but you seem really calm after viewing yours. I was just wondering what made yours any different from mine or the others. If you want, I'll tell you mine so it's fair. I saw..."

"Rather than have us share a secret that neither of us are thrilled to share, maybe you should spend your energy making sure that Sayaka doesn't do anything rash. I can handle myself fine without your comfort; she can't."

Makoto's eyes widened at the truth that crossed his mind.

"Crap, what was I thinking? Sorry Kyoko, I've gotta run!"

As he ran out the door, she called out "Makoto!"

The boy stopped in his tracks, turning back to face the stoic girl. Her eyes showed the faintest hint of concern as she advised him "Don't you do anything rash, either."

Surprised, Makoto nodded and rushed out, hurrying to find Sayaka, and leaving the others to their thoughts.

XXX

Makoto rubbed his eye as he walked into the dining hall, still trying to wake up after having traded rooms with Sayaka.

 _Weird, she's not here. Usually she and I come in at about the same time…_

As he ate breakfast, everyone else started piling in, Kyoko murmuring "I suppose I'm late" as she entered the dining hall.

 _Okay, this is weird. Kyoko's always the last to come and eat, so why is Sayaka even later?_

Everyone else seemed to be as confused as Makoto, wondering where Sayaka was.

"I got the sense she always has her stuff together..." Kyoko mused, causing a chill of dread ot crawl up Makoto's spine.

 _We switched rooms, she should be safe, but…_ "SOMETHING'S WRONG!"

Makoto dashed out, leaving Kyoko to yell "Makoto, where are you going?"

Makoto ignored her though and dashed over to his room, pushing open the barely-ajar door as he burst in. Makoto gaped with horror at the sight of the place; what was once a reasonably well-kept room had now been turned into a war zone. The golden sword was knocked onto the floor and out of its sheath, the table was turned over, and scratches were everywhere.

 _What...what happened? Sayaka...she was supposed to be safe…_ "SAYAKA!"

He then turned to see the bathroom door ajar. Gulping, he timidly pushed it open, and stared in horror at the sight awaiting him. Sayaka Maizono lay slump against the wall, a knife sticking out of her belly, sitting in a pool of her own blood. Makoto did the only thing he could think of; he screamed in terror, and fainted, falling backwards onto the carpet of the bedroom as the world blurred around him.

XXX

Kyoko continued to stare at the doorway, her eyes betraying her concern despite her neutral expression. Makoto's outburst and exit showed a decisiveness that both impressed and worried her. Before she could ponder it any further, she heard a deathly scream that made her blood run cold.

 _Makoto! You foolish boy, I told you not to do anything rash!_

She stood up and yelled "COME ON!" before walking briskly through the entryway, leaving everyone confused, but obediently followed her.

It wasn't long before they reached Makoto's room where everyone save for Kyoko gasped in horror at the same frightful view that Makoto had witnessed, although her eyes had widened in shock at the grizzly scene.

"Ok...this school prank is no longer funny..." Yasuhiro spoke, making Kyoko roll her eyes.

 _This was never a school prank, Yasuhiro. This killing game is real…_

"Oh my god; what happened in here?"

Aoi was in shock; this whole scene put things in a rather grizzly light for everyone. Only Kyoko and Byakuya kept anything close to neutrality on their faces. Everyone then noticed how the bathroom door was ajar, and out of the corner of her eye Kyoko could spot a human hand lying on the floor. Kyoko took a deep breath and walked over to the door, pushing it open. What she saw made even her want to vomit; Makoto passed out in front of Sayaka's bloody corpse. Everyone gasped at the sight and held down a similar urge.

"Who...who could have done such a thing?"

Aoi stuttered, with tears in her eyes. Chihiro was in the same boat, while Mondo and Kiyotaka were shaking in anger. Forcing herself to focus, Kyoko laid two fingers on Makoto's wrist, then stood up and revealed "He just fainted; he'll be alright."

 _Physically yes, but emotionally? He'll be devastated…_

Before any of them could interject further, a familiar ring rang in their ears as the nearest monitor lit up to show Monokuma's face.

"Attention, would the remaining students please gather at the gymnasium at the earliest convenience for an emergency assembly? That is all."

Mondo seethed with rage as he roared "How could that pile of bolts think of calling an assembly at a time like this?"

"Yes, there's no sense in it!" Kiyotaka concurred. "Sayaka's dead, Makoto's unconscious, we should be tending to our deceased and wounded comrades, not gathering for an assembly!"

"That may be true, but it's probably our best bet to go anyways."

As everyone tried to voice their objections, Kyoko shot them down by continuing "With Sayaka murdered, we're already down one, and you of all people should be aware of the penalty for disobeying Monakuma, right Mondo?"

The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader shuffled in silent concession.

"We don't need to make unnecessary sacrifices. We need to pick our battles carefully, and there's no positive that could come from picking a fight on this. Besides...this may yield some valuable information about Sayaka's murder. Would you forgo that opportunity out of something like timing?"

"Okay, I agree with you on this one, but...what about Makoto? I mean...he's not exactly dead, and we can't just leave him alone like this..."

Kyoko smiled, making Yasuhiro nervous.

"Well, Yasuhiro, since you're so concerned about Makoto, why don't you be the one to carry him to the gymnasium with us?"

"M...me? But I..."

Yasuhiro shut up as everyone else glared at him, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"Fine; I'll haul him over."

With that, Yasuhiro hoisted Makoto into his arms, following Kyoko as she walked out of the room. Throughout the entire walk to the gymnasium, Kyoko had her head cocked just enough to be staring at Makoto's distressed expression, her eyes softening in concern.

 _Whatever happens, it's not going to be good for Makoto…_

Eventually they reached the gymnasium and gathered in the center. Yasuhiro huffed and panted as he ran up to join everyone.

"Okay...I carried him all the way here...now what do I do with him?"

Kyoko glanced over to one of the bleachers and replied "Place him against that bleacher over there. Make sure he's sitting up."

Grumbling slightly, Yasuhiro did as she asked, placing Makoto at an angle so that the bleacher would support his enough that he wouldn't slide on his back. Making his way to everyone else, the Ultimate Clairvoyant asked "Okey, now what?"

"...Now we wait..." Kyoko replied as everyone stared at Makoto, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

XXX

Makoto groaned, the world coming into clarity as he gingerly stood up, noticing the other students looking at him with worried expressions on their faces.

 _Am...am I dreaming…_

Makoto's eyes then widened as the memory of discovering Sayaka's corpse rewound itself in his mind.

 _Sayaka…_

Makoto bent over as if to vomit, then Aoi rushed over to support him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Panting to keep himself under control, he meekly asked "So...that wasn't a dream? What I saw..."

Byakuya confirmed it, causing Makoto to sink to his knees in despair. A sense of urgency coming over him, he started to dash towards the exit until Kyoko grabbed his arm to restrain him. Try as he might, he couldn't escape her iron grip. Byakuya and Mondo yelled at him that it wouldn't matter how many times he checked; Sayaka was dead, and nothing would change that. Makoto though was inconsolable.

"WHY ARE WE ALL HANGING OUT IN THE GYM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?"

Makoto's tears finally leaked from his eyes, his arm finally going limp as he stopped resisting. He meekly cried, mourning over the loss of his former classmate. Kyoko's eyes softened as she took pity on the boy in her grasp.

"None of us want to be here right now, either."

The others revealed that Monokuma had asked them to come, and assured Makoto that they had thought of protesting under the circumstances.

"I'm the one who convinced them to come. Right now, we need to do whatever he says. We're his prisoners, right? It's not a good idea to defy him without reason. We don't need to make any more sacrifices than we already have."

Defiant, Makoto roared "Why should we listen to anything he has to say?"

Monokuma soon popped out of nowhere, shooting down Makoto's accusation that he was responsible for Sayaka's murder. He revealed that one of Makoto's classmates had committed the murder, and explained the class trial process.

 _You...you want us to send one of our own to the gallows? And if we get it wrong, then we all die? What kind of warped justice system is this?_

Junko apparently had the same thought, outright refusing to take part in it, followed by stomping on Monokuma when he rushed at her. However, that led to perhaps the most gruesome sight that Makoto had ever seen; Monokuma made several spears materialize out of thin air, impaling Junko all over her body. He watched with horror as the light left Junko's eyes and she fell to the floor, dead.

 _First Sayaka, now Junko…_

"..Why did you have to kill her? Didn't you say you would put her in prison or something?"

"I changed my mind."

"No, you've been wanting to kill this entire time."

Makoto watched the exchange between Kyoko and Monokuma with amazed horror, his mind still trying to solidify that this was actually happening. After receiving the Monokuma file, Makoto latched on to Monokuma's admission that the surveillance cameras caught the murder.

 _Wait, so you know who killed her and you won't tell us?!_

"Wait, so then...you know who killed Sayaka?"

Monokuma revealed that if he hadn't, he couldn't possibly pass a fair sentence.

 _Yeah, more like you couldn't fairly torture us, you monster!_

"That's a good point. The judge has to be able to make the proper decision. That's...somehow comforting."

 _Comforting? Kyoko, how exactly is this comforting?_

Monokuma wished everyone luck, then vanished out of sight, leaving Makoto trembling in shock and denial.

 _This isn't happening. It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a dream…_

"Makoto"

The soft voice pulled Makoto back to reality. Kyoko had laid her hand on his shoulder as she stared him in the eye.

"Now's no time to wallow in your depression. The worst thing we can do right now is lose all faith in each other. That would lead to the same disastrous result as having total faith in everyone else."

She then turned to everyone else and advised "Cooperation is absolutely key at this point. Who you decide to trust or not trust is, of course, up to you."

As Celeste and Aoi argued about talking about the deceased, Kyoko brought them back on track by saying "Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing. Because if we don't, we're all going to die here."

Everyone mumbled their agreement, if for no other reason than self-preservation. With that, discussion centered on the details in the Monokuma file. Celeste then noted that the murder took place in Makoto's room, causing most of the stares to fall squarely on Makoto.

 _Wait, you...you think I was responsible?_

Makoto tried to explain that he and Sayaka had traded rooms and why, but it seemed to do nothing to alleviate their suspicions. It was then that Kyoko centered the conversation back to the investigation.

"I'd advise everyone from drawing premature judgments on this case. We're going to find out who the killer is...Because if we don't, we're all going to die here. Before we start searching for Sayaka's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene."

It was decided that Mondo and Sakura would watch the crime scene to prevent tampering. With that detail set, Kyoko finished "Are we all done talking? We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Sayaka. We'll have to collect clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong...Well, do I really have to say any more?"

With everyone chilled at the prospect of getting it wrong, Kyoko left the gymnasium, saying "Everyone pray for good luck" before vanishing out of sight.

Soon everyone else followed suit, leaving Makoto alone in the gymnasium.

 _I have to find out who did it...who really killed Sayaka. I'll bring them light, and prove my innocence. Otherwise, we all die…_

XXX

Makoto gulped and entered his room, Mondo and Sakura standing against the wall as Kyoko kneeled in a corner.

"Hey, Kyoko...what are you doing?"

Without turning to him, she replied "Isn't it obvious? I'm searching."

Figuring that was all he's get out of Kyoko, Makoto turned to inspect his room when Kyoko stood up and asked "Are you a clean freak?"

 _What does my cleanliness have to do with Sayaka's killer?_

Makoto was caught off guard by her out-of-the-blue question, but replied "No, I don't think so."

 _Then that confirms it..._

Kyoko smiled and mused "Interesting. Just as I suspected, there's something very unusual about your room."

"Unusual? What do you mean?"

 _I mean, I don't normally decorate with metal plates and surveillance cameras, but I don't see what makes my room so different from everyone else's…_

"I've searched your floor from one corner to another...and I didn't find one single strand of hair. Not one hair from the victim, and not one hair from you, even though you've been living here."

 _Of course; it wouldn't make sense for there to be no hair here, since I don't obsess about keeping my room clean._

Makoto then spotted the lint roller by his bed and grabbed it, inspecting it. His eyes widened with epiphany, the dots slowly connecting in his head.

"Kyoko, my lint roller's been used, but I haven't touched it at all in the three days that I've been living here!"

"Very interesting...Your room didn't have a single hair in it, and someone used your lint roller without your knowledge. In other words...someone other than you came in and scrubbed your room clean."

 _That just leaves one question…_

"Was it Sayaka, or the killer?"

 _Looks like we're coming to the same line of thinking…_

"That's the question, isn't it?"

XXX

Makoto stumbled out of the bathroom, his face green with nausea after investigating Sayaka's corpse and seeing her blood stain the tiles. He took deep breaths to compose himself, until he felt Kyoko's hand on his shoulder, her eyes swirling with sympathy.

"I know it's not pretty to look at, but it looks like you found it, right Makoto? The bloody numbers...That's most likely Sayaka's dying message."

 _11037...Sayaka wrote that as she died...but what does it mean?_

"Do you often talk like an aspiring poet, Makoto?"

"H...huh?"

"You were going on about how her message was written with life itself."

Makoto blushed, embarrassed at how he had been talking without realizing it.

Kyoko smirked and assured him "Don't feel embarrassed. It actually wasn't half-bad. If we get out of this alive, you'll have to show me what other works of poetry you've come up with."

Makoto blushed even harder and murmured "Let's just get back to the task at hand..."

Kyoko nodded and revealed "The way she wrote the numbers makes me think she wanted to use her body to block them. If she wrote them in that location, while she was sitting the way we found her...it means she must have wrote them by turning only her hand toward the wall. If you were to write something in that position, do you know what the result would be?"

"The result?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied cryptically "Think about it."

 _If I just give him all the answers, he'll never be able to move forward…_

 _Why is she keeping secrets from me? I don't have the patience for this nonsense!_

Kyoko laid her hand on his shoulder and assured "I know this is frustrating, but you need to uncover the mystery of this case yourself...Otherwise, the case will end and you'll remain unconvinced."

 _Is that why she's being so cryptic? I guess I can understand that...doesn't make me feel any better though…_

"There's one other thing I wanted to ask you about. Do you know how the door to your bathroom got broken?"

 _Broken…_

Makoto's eyes widened in realization as he answered "Oh, you mean how it gets stuck?"

This piece of information threw Kyoko for a loop; she looked at him in surprise and exclaimed "Gets stuck?"

"Yeah, the door doesn't quite fit the frame right. But once you learn the trick, it opens no problem."

Kyoko's eyes closed as the gears started turning in her head, the answer to the puzzle becoming more clear to her.

"So the door doesn't quite fit the frame, huh? But actually, I'm referring to the broken doorknob."

"The doorknob?"

 _I thought the frame was the only problem. The knob is relevant too?_

"You didn't notice? Well, just try closing the bathroom door. I'm sure you'll see right away what I'm talking about."

Confused, Makoto did as she asked and started to reach for the knob, only to find that it was hanging on by a single screw.

"What...what the heck?"

Kyoko smiled and revealed "Someone must have used a screwdriver or something similar to unscrew it. Whatever it was, it's obvious this was intentional."

"WHAT! This was intentional? Why would someone want to do that?"

"I guess maybe they were trying to get the door unlocked and ended up breaking the whole thing."

 _But why would someone need to break down my door? It doesn't lock…_

Kyoko meanwhile was close to solving this mystery, but had one more question bugging her.

"I have just one more question for you...You mentioned earlier that your bathroom door would get stuck, right? Did you tell anyone about that?"

"N...No. Just Sayaka, when we switched rooms. It was pretty last-minute, so I wouldn't have had an opportunity to tell anyone else even if I wanted to."

"So what you're saying is, only you and Sayaka knew about it...Hmm...interesting. Then that clears that up."

 _Clears what up? I'm so confused…_

Kyoko turned on her heel and walked out of the room, calling out "Well, see you later" leaving Makoto dumbfounded.

 _You didn't kill Sayaka, Makoto. Of that, I can be sure…_

XXX

It wasn't long before Monokuma called everyone to start the class trial. Everyone was now standing on the other side of the red doors, waiting for the elevator to arise. Makoto stood around, tense and nervous.

Kyoko had her poker face on as she murmured "Let's get started."

 _Easy for you to say; you're not the automatic suspect here…_

At last, the elevator appeared, the door opening. Everyone in front of them quickly filed in, anxious to get this trial over with. Before he could step in, a question from Kyoko stopped Makoto in his tracks.

"Are you scared?"

 _Is it obvious?_

"I said it before, but it's up to you to uncover the mysteries surrounding this case yourself. If you don't, you'll never come to grips with the truth."

 _Okay, okay, I get it!_

Pushing aside his nerves, Makoto took a deep breath and followed Kyoko, a feeling of dread washing over him as the elevator descended into the courtroom. Though to Makoto, it felt more like an elevator into hell.

 _Let's do this!_

XXX

"Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick? What's going on with...those pictures?"

Makoto felt nauseous as he saw what Kyoko was referring to; In the circle of seats stood two greyed-out portraits of Junko and Sayaka, with big red Xs across their faces.

Monokuma put on a pitying voice and replied "I'd feel awful if they got left out just because they died."

 _Yeah right; if you really felt awful, you wouldn't have trapped us in this Killing game to begin with!_

With that, the first class trial had begun. The jury started out by clarifying the scene of the crime and the type of murder weapon. It wasn't long until Leon and Toko tried to blame Makoto for the murder, making the oby want to bang his head against the railing.

 _I told you, it wasn't me!_

He however didn't have to say anything in his defense, as Kyoko interjected "Let's draw our conclusions after we've presented our arguments. Otherwise, what's the point of the trial?"

"Well, we can talk all we want, it's not gonna change that conclusion..." Leon huffed.

 _Methinks thou doth protest too much. What are you hiding, Leon?_

"I don't think that's true at all. I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself."

The trial continued with further debate, then hit another snag when Aoi was accused of being Makoto's accomplice when she confirmed that Makoto never went into the dining hall when she was there. When asked by Byakuya what would happen if a killer had an accomplice, Monokuma clarified that only a killer could graduate.

"So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it…" Kyoko clarified.

Monokuma confirmed that, along with the fact that there were no accomplices in this murder. With that particular detail, the trial continued to progress. It was eventually revealed via process of elimination that Sayaka had taken the knife earlier, much ot Makoto's shock. Unfortunately, this fact also turned suspicion back onto Makoto, as Byakuya theorized that he still could have killed her with it.

 _I'm telling you, I didn't kill her! Why won't you believe me?!_

"Hold on. It's still too early to decide conclusively that Makoto is the killer, wouldn't you say? Because you see, if the room did belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering. And until we unravel that little mystery, you simply can't declare that he's the killer."

 _Kyoko...you seem to be the only one actively defending me in this trial...but why?_

When asked for clarification, Kyoko elaborated "Something was missing from the scene of the crime that by all rights should have been there. You know what I'm talking about, don't you Makoto?"

 _Something missing that should have been there...I got it!_

"There wasn't a single hair on the floor!"

Kyoko smiled as Makoto explained that if he was indeed the culprit, there should have been some of his hair lying around since he was living there. When Celeste theorized that the culprit had wanted to remove evidence of Sayaka being there, Kyoko corrected "No. If that were the case, they would have had to do something about the body itself, not just her hair."

When Leon then asked why hair hadn't even been there, Kyoko answered "The killer got rid of it all, of course. To remove any trace that they had ever been there."

It was Mondo who realized the truth first; at his exclamation, Kyoko finished "Precisely. It's simply beyond reason to believe that the room's owner and the killer are one and the same."

 _I couldn't have said it better myself. Kyoko, thank you…_

Makoto's hopes were deflated however when Kiyotaka expressed skepticism, asking if that detail alone could serve as the basis for such a critical decision.

 _Come on Kiyotaka; I didn't do it!_

Yet again, Kyoko came to Makoto's defense when she replied "No. There are other reasons that prove why Makoto couldn't have done it."

At Sakura's insistence, Kyoko continued "Do you remember anything remarkable about the bathroom at the scene? Sayaka was attacked in the main room first, then fled into the bathroom, right?"

When Mondo confirmed those events, Kyoko continued "And how did the killer get into the bathroom. Did they have any trouble with it?"

Celeste expressed confusion, but Kyoko clarified "It's fairly certain that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom...There was clear evidence left behind. Do you remember, Makoto?"

 _Clear evidence left behind...I got it!_

"You're talking about the doorknob, right?"

Makoto clarified how the doorknob had almost completely fallen off. Chihiro looked confused, asking what it meant.

"In trying to bypass the lock, they ended up nearly removing the entire doorknob. This is another bewildering act for the room's owner. It proves Makoto is beyond suspicion."

Leon tried to shoot down that theory, insisting that if a door is locked, then you'd have no choice but to break it.

 _Why are you so insistent on pinning this on me, Leon? I didn't commit murder!_

Makoto didn't know whether to feel irritated or desperate. Kyoko merely shook her head and took a counter-shot.

"You still don't see? Okay, then...Let's take another look at how the incident unfolded. Hopefully that will help you understand. The incident took place in Makoto's room. Sayaka was first attacked in the main room. She then fled into the bathroom..."

As the debate went on, Makoto explained that his bathroom door got stuck because it didn't fit the frame quite right.

"So the reason the door didn't open was just because it was stuck...But the killer didn't know that, and assumed it was locked. So they tore apart the doorknob to get in" Kyoko clarified.

After Celeste expressed skepticism that the killer would have made a mistake regarding something that was common knowledge, Myoko smiled and countered "The killer could easily make that mistake, thanks to one important detail about the scene of the crime…"

 _One important detail...I got it!_

"The killer must not have realized that it was my room" Makoto concluded.

Hifumi expressed shock at such a rookie mistake, causing Kyoko to smile and retort "And yet, he's absolutely right. Well, to be more specific...What the killer didn't know was that Makoto and Sayaka had switched rooms. Which is what led to the misunderstanding about the bathroom. If Sayaka had been in her own room, then…"

Kiyotaka and Sakura concluded that there would have been a lock to break through had Sayaka been in her room, and that in Makoto's room such force would have been unnecessary. Kyoko nodded in confirmation.

"Ultimately, we can't know if it came open by force or simply by accident, but...The killer must have been considerably confused, with no idea how they actually got the door opened."

Since Makoto wouldn't have needed to do this if he was the culprit, the revelation cleared Makoto of immediate suspicion and refocused the debate. Makoto looked at Kyoko with gratitude.

 _Kyoko...I owe you my life!_

As much as he wanted to, this was no time to burst into joyful tears and shout his gratitude to the sky.

 _If we don't determine Sayaka's killer, it'll all be for naught…_

With that, the trial continued to how the culprit could have gotten into the room in the first place. When Hifumi suggested that Sayaka had let the killer in, Makoto shot back that since she was already so scared, she wouldn't have opened the door for anyone, even him.

"...What if her being scared was a lie?"

Makoto stared at Kyoko in horror as those words left her lips. The mere thought of Sayaka lying to him about something so serious was unthinkable.

Shaking his head, Makoto yelled "Why would she lie about something like that?"

Looking at him in pity, she replied calmly "I know you don't want to consider it, but look at this and tell me...can you still deny the possibility?"

She passed Makoto a shaded piece of paper that caused him to gape in shock; it was a note from Sayaka asking someone to come to her room in secret.

"I found a notepad during my search, and I shaded in the top sheet with a pencil. And these are the words that appeared."

Aoi recalled how she had seen that on detective shows, to which Kyoko replied "It's a pretty old-fashioned technique, but even the classics can be surprisingly useful sometimes."

 _Ok, yes, it's very interesting, but can we PLEASE get back to figuring out Sayaka's murderer?_

Kyoko continued "Oh, and I should also mention...I found the notepad on the desk in Makoto's room."

 _Wh...What? In my room?_

"Which means, only someone who had been in Makoto's room before the incident could have written it."

As Byakuya deduced that only Makoto or Sayaka could have written it, she asked "So, Makoto...did you write this?"

"N...no"

"Of course you didn't. Because the note also bears a perfectly legible signature - Sayaka's signature."

 _She lied to me...why?_ "But why...why would she write that?"

"The note was likely her way of getting in touch with a certain someone. She must have slid it under their door to let them know she wanted to meet with them in secret."

Celeste tried to shoot down that theory, saying that if the killer had gotten the note that they would have gone to where Makoto was sleeping, but was surprised to find out that not only had the rooms been switched, but the nameplates as well.

"That's right. The nameplates got switched, just like the rooms themselves. As a result, the nameplate on Sayaka's room actually had Makoto's name. And the nameplate on Makoto's room had Sayaka's."

When Byakuya and Chihiro realized that the killer would have ended up at Makoto's room due to the swap, Kyoko continued "Plus, their rooms are right next to each other. So switching the nameplates would be no problem. And the one who switched the names was...Well of course it wasn't you, right Makoto?"

Makoto could only nod in confirmation.

 _So who swapped the plates...no...it couldn't be...but it's the only explanation…_

"Sayaka..."

Kyoko nodded, elaborating "You can also infer as much from her note…She specifically tells the reader to check the nameplate. She would only have written that if she knew the nameplates had been switched."

When Chihiro wondered why she wanted to switch them at all, Kyoko explained "She wanted someone to come to the room she was in, and also hide the fact that it was Makoto's room."

When Aoi wondered why anyone would do something so perplexing, Kyoko mused "To understand that...we first need to understand what happened after she invited the person into the room. That's where the answer lies…"

Celeste mused that the answer lay within the initial struggle, to which Kyoko confirmed "Yes, I think you're right."

With their efforts refocused, the debate continued to what happened with the golden sword in Makoto's room. Yasuhiro hypothesized that the killer grabbed the sword and attacked Sayaka with it right out of the gate. Makoto shot that theory down, clarifying that the scratches on the sheath would have made it impossible to be used first in the fight.

When Hifumi asked how the sheath got damaged, Kyoko explained "If they got attacked with the kitchen knife, maybe they grabbed the sword as a defensive impulse. In that situation, there wouldn't be any time to actually unsheathe the sword."

Kiyotaka hypothesized that the culprit grabbed the kitchen knife first, then took the sword from Sayaka and killed her. Kyoko however shot that theory down with a shake of her head.

"Sorry, but I don't think Sayaka used the sword to defend herself."

When Leon asked why, Kyoko explained "Because she never held the sword at all. There's a certain part of her body that makes this clear."

 _A certain part of her body...wait...I got it!_

"You're talking about her palms, right?"

Kyoko nodded her head, and Makoto explained how if she did use the sword, then the gold coating would have been all over her palms, and since it was so early in the morning, the water wouldn't have been working so she couldn't have washed it off. That had left only one possibility of events, leaving Makoto dumbfounded in horror.

"Sayaka? She took the knife?"

 _W...why? She couldn't have…_

"Now do you understand? She wasn't a blameless victim in this."

As they Makoto frantically argued with the others about the possibility that Sayaka had planned to commit murder and implicate Makoto in her place, Monokuma complained and whined that the argument was being derailed.

"Makoto, right now you just need to concentrate on figuring out the answer to this mystery. If we can't uncover who murdered Sayaka, it's over for all of us."

Still emotional, Makoto took several deep breaths as he thought _Okay, there will be time to figure out Sayaka's motives later. Right now we need to expose who actually killed her, or as Kyoko said, we'll all die._

Leon tried to object that there weren't any more clues to go on, but Makoto objected that there was one clue left; Sayaka's dying message.

Leon appeared confused, until Kyoko clarified "The dying message. She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember? 11037, written in her own blood. There must be a clue about the killer hidden in there."

Chihiro confessed that she couldn't see any meaning in the numbers, to which Kyoko smiled and interjected "...Of course. It's because they're not numbers."

 _They're not numbers? Then...what are they?_

Hifumi hypothesized that the 11 was actually an N, but everyone was still stumped until Kyoko advised "Rotate the image 180 degrees."

 _Rotate the image...wait a minute...I see now...L-E-O-N. Oh god, I've got it!_

Makoto immediately accused Leon of the murder, to which he objected that it was just random squiggles that looked like his name.

"No, it's not random at all. She wrote that message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it. In that position, she couldn't move to write normally, and had to write upside down as it were. And as a result...When you look at it standing in front of her, it ends up getting flipped. Try it for yourself if you want. Write something sitting like her, and the letters will be inverted."

Leon continued to object that he wasn't the killer, to which Kyoko objected "If you're not the killer, then why did you try to destroy the evidence? You know what I'm talking about, right Makoto? The evidence Leon tried to get rid of?"

 _The evidence Leon tried to get rid of...wait a minute...I've got it!_

"The burnt shirt piece?"

Nodding, Kyoko continued "As the killer stabbed Sayaka, they must have gotten some of her blood on them. And to dispose of the shirt covered in the victim's blood, they threw it into the incinerator."

"But one piece got burnt off and left behind..." Celeste realized.

"And the killer didn't notice. If they had, they most certainly would have panicked. Isn't that right, Leon?"

Leon tried to object that a single piece of fabric couldn't prove that he was guilty. Makoto agreed, but elaborated that other things would reveal the truth, causing Kyoko to smile.

"Are you finally starting to understand? The answers to all the riddles are right here."

With that, the debate centered on how the shirt got put into the incinerator, which was locked behind the gate in the trash room. Leon tried to pin it on Hifumi, since he as on trash duty that week. Makoto hypothesized that the killer took Yasuhiro's glass ball from the laundry room and threw it through the gaps in the gate to hit the incinerator switch, then balled up the shirt and tossed it into the incinerator.

"All you have to do is look at the scene to know that the killer never actually went inside the trash room. The shards of broken glass, the incinerator left running, the piece of shirt that escaped the fire...If the killer had been on cleaning duty, the evidence would have been taken care of much more thoroughly."

When Makoto pointed out that such a feat would have been no challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon started to sweat, ranting that it was all wrong, causing Kyoko to smirk.

 _Gotcha!_

"You still won't admit it? Okay then...Makoto go ahead and review the incident one more time to make his crime perfectly clear. And with that, we can end this…"

As Makoto recreated the events of the murder perfectly, Leon sweat more and more, causing Kyoko to smirk.

 _Well done, Makoto._

"So, Leon...do you object to anything that's been said?"

"Hell yes I object!"

"Well then, I guess this is as good a time as any to present the evidence that proves you did it. Makoto...I believe you're in possession of that evidence?"

 _That evidence...wait...the doorknob, the screws...I've got it!_

"When the killer removed the screws from the doorknob, they didn't use anything from your room to do it. Instead, they must have used something that belonged to them. So what did the killer use?"

Makoto realized that they had to use their own toolkit, since Sayaka's room wouldn't have had one, so they wouldn't have thought to ransack Makoto's room for a toolkit. Above Leon's repeated cries of "Stupid", Makoto demanded to see Leon's toolkit.

 _This will prove once and for all whether Leon's guilty or not._

"And let me say this right now...I lost it isn't an excuse at this point."

XXX

In the end, Leon was voted guilty, and everyone was forced to watch as he was tied to a pole and executed via a thousand baseballs at machine-gun velocity. Shock crossed everyone's faces save for Kyoko, who was as stoic as ever, and Monokuma, who celebrated with glee.

Makoto seethed with anger at the three deaths caused by Monokuma, psychopathic game. When the bear mocked him about how Sayaka's betrayal had left him in despair, that was the last straw for Makoto.

"FUZAKERU NA!"

Everyone looked at the normally peaceful and kind Makoto, shocked by this outburst of rage.

"You did this. It was all your fault, from beginning to end!"

He lunged at Monokuma, determined to make him pay for what he had done, but found himself restrained by Kyoko's firm grip.

"No, Makoto; that's enough. Don't lose it. Think about this, you'll never avenge her if you get killed too. If you really want to make her enemies pay for what they've done, you need to let it go for now."

Monokuma cackled and taunted how once the mysteries of the school were solved, everyone would think their living conditions were wonderful.

"I feel like there's some kind of deeper meaning hidden in there… Just like before…"

 _That's what everyone is waiting for after all…_

"When you say everyone...who exactly are you referring to?"

Monokuma merely cackled and disappeared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the struggle on Makoto's face, the struggle to remain composed after bearing witness to such horrible things. Wordlessly, she supported Makoto as they walked back to the elevator and to the dorm rooms. Shakily, Makoto reached into his pocket and pulled out his dorm key. As he struggled to place it in the lock, Kyoko grabbed his hand with her free one to steady it, then helped him twist the key and open the door. She then helped him to sit down onto the bed. She took one last look at his despair-ridden face as she turned around and walked out, gently closing the door behind her.

 _He needs time...as much as I want to tell him some things that couldn't be brought up during the trial, he needs time to regain his composure so that he can accept them…_

As the door closed, Makoto's mind wandered to those he lost today.

 _Sayaka, Junko, Leon. Why did this have to happen to them? And why did Sayaka lie to me like this? I thought we were friends. No, I can't blame her entirely. It's all one...monster's fault. Damn that Monokuma! He took away their lives, and for what? For his entertainment?_

Makoto lost his composure; he collapsed onto his back and cried, rivers trailing down his cheeks as he let out the clogged up emotions that had festered during the trial. And he cried and cried until he couldn't cry anymore, the soundproof walls ensuring nobody was privy to the torment he felt.

XXX

After a couple hours, his tears subsided and he felt he could think logically again.

 _I wouldn't have gotten out alive if Kyoko hadn't defended me during the trial. I should probably thank her when I see her again…_

As he thought this, the doorbell rang twice. Forcing himself to stand up, he slowly walked over and opened the door to see Kyoko standing on the other side.

"Kyo...Kyoko..."

"Makoto. Can I talk to you for a second? There's something I want to talk to you about."

Nodding, Makoto opened the door fully and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it and grasping his hands in each other.

"It's about Sayaka, isn't it?"

Kyoko looked at him in surprise, expecting to have to guide him to the answer.

"I'm surprised you figured it out. I told you before the class trial started...You had to figure out the mystery of this case yourself."

 _I really wish I hadn't, honestly. I had no idea what Sayaka was planning. And now that I know the truth, how well do I really know my friends?_

"Listen, Makoto. Sayaka meant to double-cross you. That's a fact you can never change. But even till the very end, she wasn't sure of her decision. That's why...as she lay dying, she was thinking of you."

Makoto scoffed, thinking _Yeah right; thinking of how she could betray me!_

"There's no way you could know that for sure. Only Sayaka could tell us, and she's dead now."

"Even if you can't ask her, you can infer it, don't you think? Her final thought...was how she could protect you."

 _Pro...protect me?_

Kyoko smiled as she explained "The fact that she used her last ounce of energy to leave her dying message proves it. If she didn't care what happened to you, she never would have left that message. She certainly didn't have to."

 _I want to believe that, but after what happened today, I don't know if I'll be able to trust anyone at face-value ever again. Maizono tricked me because I was a fool and believed that she wouldn't kill anyone. Besides, it was probably more for revenge against Leon than concern for me!_

"Well, maybe all she really wanted was to pay Leon back for killing her."

"That's certainly one possibility. But I don't think that's what it was. She was...uncertain. She wasn't sure she could kill someone...or deceive you. Which is why her plan failed. Her hesitation attracted failure. It's almost ironic when you think about it."

 _So she died...because she hesitated? Because she was unsure? She died...for nothing?_

"Kyoko...why are you telling me all this?"

 _Because I don't want you to lose hope._

Kyoko gave a comforting smile as she replied "Because...you're the kind of person who can overcome this. Because you can move past the deaths of your friends - Sayaka and Leon - and keep moving forward. Without someone like that, the others would never be able to break free of such a desperate situation."

 _Move past their deaths? I'll be haunted by this forever; I could never move on…_

"Kyoko. I could never move past their deaths. Sayaka, Junko, Leon, their deaths, their unfulfilled dreams, their anguish; I'm going to carry them with me for the rest of my life!"

Kyoko stared at Makoto in surprise, his determination catching her off guard.

 _You surprise me again, Makoto Naegi._

"So instead of forgetting them...you're choosing the hard road. Well, I have high expectations for you."

 _High expectations? Of what?_

Makoto blushed at the thought of the stoic Kyoko holding him in high regard.

"By the way..." Kyoko interrupted "I have to admit I'm curious...How did you know I wanted to talk to you about Sayaka?"

Makoto smiled as Sayaka's funniest catchphrase came to mind.

 _This is too good to resist…_ "I'm psychic!"

"Huh?"

Makoto giggled and replied "Kidding. I just have good intuition."

 _I can't believe that worked!_

 _He tricked me! I can't believe it. He's more clever than I thought._

Smiling, Kyoko murmured "Like I said, I have high expectations for you. Now if you'll excuse me..."

As Kyoko turned, Makoto called "Kyoko, wait."

Kyoko turned back, curious at what Makoto had to say to her.

"I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life back there, Kyoko. You believed me when nobody else did, and I would be dead now if you hadn't guided me during the investigation and the trial. And don't tell me it was to save your own skin, because you could have exposed Leon without defending me as vigorously as you did. I owe you my life, Kyoko..."

Kyoko looked at Makoto, shocked at his heartfelt expression of gratitude, as well as the tears that were threatening to bubble over the surface. She laid her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her smiling face.

"You were innocent, that's all there is to it. And I know you'll get through this, Makoto. You have an inner strength that we need right now. Your optimism is what will keep everyone going in these trying times, and none of us want to see you lose the hope you hold."

Makoto blushed at Kyoko's praise, who was also slightly blushing at the speech she gave. Squeezing his shoulder in comfort, she turned around and walked away.

Opening the door, she turned around and told him "Sweet dreams, Makoto."

He watched as she walked out the door, closing it behind her. He clenched his chest with one hand, then laid back and crawled under the blankets, committing her words to memory as he slept.

 _I promise, Kyoko. I won't lose hope. If I fall into despair, then that'll only give Monokuma what he wants. In the memory of Sayaka, Junko, and Leon, I won't lose my optimism. I'll let that be my weapon against Monokuma's sadistic game._


	3. Chapter Two: Boys' Life of Despair

Chapter Two: Boys' Life of Despair

Makoto walked into the dining hall, taking his seat next to Kyoko. He had just taken a shower and saw that just as Monokuma said, Sayaka's corpse and blood had been cleaned away.

 _As though it never even happened. Sayaka...no, no more tears. I've already spent enough time crying over this. I have to keep my optimism; otherwise, just like Kyoko said, we'll lose._

While he was far from smiling, Makoto had steeled his nerves enough that he wasn't about to burst into tears.

"You look better today. I'm glad..."

Kyoko gave a small smile as she munched on an apple, glad to see Makoto's eyes no longer puffy and that he looked somewhat normal compared to the other day.

Makoto smiled back and replied "Well, it's like you told me; if I can't keep my optimism, then Monokuma wins. And I'll be damned if he kills any more of us with his killing game. So I've gotta be hopeful, for everyone's sake."

Soon enough, everyone else remaining filed in, grabbing their breakfast. Once everyone had finished eating, a familiar ding rang through the speakers as Monokuma's face appeared on the monitor.

"Attention, student body. Please proceed to the gymnasium for an assembly. That is all."

"Wonder what he wants this time..."

Kyoko rose and replied "Only one way to find out. Shall we?"

Makoto nodded and walked ahead of her, marching down to the gymnasium with her following closely behind.

XXX

After making them do pointless exercise, Monokuma revealed that with each completed class trial, a new world within the school would be available for access. In this case, the second floor, which was where the remaining students found themselves exploring, hoping for some way out. The second floor held a couple of new amenities, including a library, where Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya found themselves exploring. Kyoko combed through the bookshelved, which obviously hadn't been used in some time; it wasn't long that a cloud of dust formed and she had to stand back and wait for it to settle.

Still coughing, she advised "It's remarkably dusty in here. And the lighting is less than ideal. For a library, it's not the kind of place I'd want to do much reading in…"

 _THIS was Hope's Peak Academy? Man, what was I thinking accepting my invitation…_

As Makoto continued to look around, he spotted what looked like…

 _A laptop?_

As he stepped closer to inspect it, Kyoko revealed "Don't bother, Makoto. It's broken. I tried pressing the power button earlier, but nothing happened."

"Broken? Too bad..."

"You didn't honestly think it would be as simple as Googling our way out of here, did you?"

 _Point taken, I guess…_

Makoto sighed and looked around some more until he saw a pale envelope the size of a Hallmark greeting card.

"Hope's Peak Academy..."

"It was buried under a thick layer of dust. It must have been sitting there for quite a while..."

Makoto jumped, Kyoko's sudden appearance behind him surprising him.

 _Good god, Kyoko, don't DO that! My nerves have been frazzled enough these past few days as it is…_

Kyoko merely smiled, amused at Makoto's reaction, and continued "Well, shall we see what's inside?"

To Makoto, it felt like an invasion of privacy, despite how abandoned the school obviously was. The thought of reading another person's mail didn't sit right with Makoto.

"But...we shouldn't read other people's mail without their permission..."

Kyoko rolled her eyes, thinking _Oh for god's sake Makoto; this letter was abandoned. We can't afford to act like goody two-shoes just to satisfy your overly considerate morals._

"What we shouldn't do is leave this here without finding out what's inside." She got up in his face, speaking with a threatening edge "We can't leave any stone unturned. If you won't read it, then I will. Pick one, Makoto Naegi."

Gulping, Makoto thought _Remind me never to get on your bad side...Alright Kyoko, you win!_

Sighing, Makoto opened the envelope and took out the letter inside, beginning to read it aloud as Kyoko peered over his shoulder. As he continued to read, his eyes widened with shock. By the end, he had lost his grip on the paper, letting it flutter to his feet.

"What the...what does this even mean?"

Reaching down to pick up the letter, Kyoko mused "It would seem Hope's Peak had stopped functioning as a school. And judging by the amount of dust the letter had collected, it doesn't seem to have happened recently. If I had to guess, I'd say this letter could be at least a year old."

"A year ago? But wait; before I got here, I looked stuff up online about the school, and never saw anything about this..."

Byakuya mused that if the letter was real, then it must have been part of the mastermind's plan.

"If it is real, though, that does solve one mystery surrounding the school...The reason there are no other students here could be because the school had already closed down."

 _That would also explain why this library is so dusty; if the school hasn't been in session for at least a year, then it makes sense that nobody would bother to tidy up the library._

Turning to Kyoko, he asked "Do you think there's any connection between that and what's happening to us now?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko replied "I don't know. If the two events are in fact connected...uncovering that connection would be a useful clue, on top of figuring out the mastermind's motive...Although I can't really say any more until we find more details."

 _Rats; I was hoping she would have figured it out. I guess it couldn't possibly be that easy, even for her._

Kyoko turned on her heel and said "I think we've found everything useful that we can here. Shall we head back to the dining hall and see what everyone else has uncovered?"

As she walked out the door, Makoto yelled "Hey Kyoko, wait up" as he ran up behind her and followed her back to the first floor.

XXX

When Makoto and Kyoko got to the dining hall, Kiyotaka called the meeting to order. It was revealed that in addition to a library, the 2nd floor had locker rooms and a pool. It was also revealed that the bathhouse and warehouse were unlocked. However, as Mondo complained, there was nothing resembling an escape route. Celeste reminded everyone that to survive, everyone needed to adapt.

As Mondo continued to grumble, Kyoko asked "So, are we done for today?"

With nothing left to say, everyone left the dining hall back to their respective rooms. Makoto followed Kyoko outside and called "Kyoko..."

As they approached her door, she asked "What is it, Makoto?"

Twiddling his thumbs, Makoto answered "About earlier in the library...I'm sorry I didn't do as you asked right away when you told me to open that letter. I should...I should trust your judgment more, especially after you saved my life the other day. But I second-guessed your intuition instead. Forgive me..."

Kyoko smiled, amused at how apologetic Makoto was over something so minor.

Turning around, she looked at him with sincerity and replied "There's nothing to apologize for, Makoto. You were just following the morals that your parents taught you, I'm sure. You have a respect for people's privacy that many don't, and I would hate to see you lose that. I'm not angry, Makoto. Today was just a scenario where respect for privacy wasn't beneficial to our goal of getting out of here alive."

Makoto stared, amazed at just how much into his personality and thoughts she had read, causing Kyoko to smile in amusement.

"Kyoko..."

"I'm heading to bed. Good night, Makoto."

The door closed behind her, leaving Makoto to wander back to his room and prepare for bed.

XXX

Makoto panted as he raced up the stairs; everyone except for Byakuya had come to breakfast. His loner attitude wouldn't have worried Makoto normally, but after Kiyotaka brought up his concern that something might have happened to Byakuya, Makoto felt his blood run cold.

 _No no no no...not again!_

Seeing visions of Sayaka's corpse flash in front of his eyes, Makoto burst out the door and raced through the halls, desperate to find Byakuya before it was too late.

"BYAKUYA! BYAKUYA!"

 _Where are you, Byakuya! Okay, calm down Makoto, take a deep breath. He wouldn't have any reason to be on the first floor, so he must be on the 2nd floor!_

Makoto raced up the stairs and past the bathrooms when he heard a familiar voice call out "So you thought to come here, too…"

He turned around and sure enough, Kyoko was standing in the hallway, relaxed against the wall. Perhaps it was because he was already frantic, but the few shreds of Makoto's calm demeanor snapped.

"How can you be so freaking CALM about this, Kyoko? Not even one day after we lose Sayaka and Leon, Byakuya goes missing! If we don't find him, then...then..."

Makoto had been pacing back and forth, and after sighing, Kyoko had had enough of the sight. She walked over to him and firmly placed her hands on his shoulders, stopping Makoto in his tracks.

"Makoto, get a grip! I know how you feel, but getting all worked up like this isn't going to make Byakuya any safer. Now take a deep breath, okay?"

Makoto did as she asked, feeling his self-control return with each intake of oxygen. He then blushed, embarrassed with how he had acted.

 _Great, now I feel silly…_

"Sorry, Kyoko. I'm just trying to figure out where he could have vanished to. I mean, we already explored most of the 1st floor, and I can't think of any reason he'd go to the warehouse or the bathhouse, so where could he have gone?"

Kyoko smiled and replied "The answer may be more obvious than you think. If you think about what Byakuya was so interested in yesterday...you can probably guess where he is right now, right?"

 _Yesterday...wait a minute, I got it! The library! He was very interested in the library!_

Turning around, Makoto took off, shouting "Thanks, Kyoko. You're a lifesaver!"

Kyoko smirked and shook her head, opting to stand against the wall and wait to see if her theory was correct.

 _That boy's a little rough around the edges, but he's a quick thinker once he gets a little nudge…_

XXX

 _Oh, Byakuya Togami! That arrogant, self-centered, egotistical son of a biscuit! To think I was worried half to death about him, and he goes and spews THAT!_

Makoto stomped out of the library, eager to get back to his room so he could cool off. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt such anger at one of his peers.

"You know, scowling doesn't really fit you, Makoto."

Makoto turned around and saw Kyoko standing in the same place she was when he left her, an amused smile on her face.

"I have a right to be upset. HIs little disappearing act had us all concerned, and how does he thank us? By showing amusement in Monokuma's game and telling us all not to bore him. For god's sake, I was WORRIED about him. We all were, except maybe you. Why weren't you frantic like the rest of us about what might have happened to him?"

Kyoko shrugged and replied "I have to put all my energy into watching out for myself. I don't have time to worry about anyone else."

 _Even me? So was your pep talk last night just a ruse, a mask?_

Feeling betrayed, he scoffed and turned around.

"Whatever, Kyoko. I'm heading downstairs. Smell you later..."

As he stomped out of sight, Kyoko was left to herself, a speck of guilt entering her heart. She frowned, Makoto's reaction leaving her unsettled.

 _Did I offend him? What did I say?_

XXX

Makoto had laid on his bed for some time, his emotions sufficiently cooled to the point that he could look back on the past few hours logically. He looked back at his outburst at Kyoko and felt ashamed.

 _I acted like a jerk. Kyoko saved my life the other day and I repay her by blowing up in her face. I should go apologize._

His mind made up, Makoto walked around the school until he spotted Kyoko walking on the 2nd floor.

"Kyo...Kyoko..."

Turning around, she looked at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes and replied "Did you need something from me?"

Clasping his hands behind his back and kicking his heel with his toe, Makoto stuttered "I...I'm sorry that I blew up in front of you the other day. I was on edge with Byakuya's disappearance and attitude the other day, but that's no excuse for me being so short with you. I know I probably made you mad, and I'm really sorry..."

Makoto's babbling was interrupted by a chuckle ringing through his ears. He looked up, confused to see Kyoko lightly chuckling and shaking her head.

"Makoto, I was never mad at you. I was just...concerned."

"Concerned? But wait, I thought you said you didn't worry about anyone else but you."

Her expression back to a neutral mask, she clarified "Just because I don't actively show worry and get frantic whenever someone acts strangely or doesn't show up doesn't mean that I'm never concerned about them. I was concerned when you were scowling the other day after speaking with Byakuya because you're usually an optimistic person, so it's unsettling to see a scowl on your face."

 _So you, you WERE concerned about me…_

"Byakuya on the other hand has always been a loner, so it's hardly cause for alarm when he doesn't show up for breakfast. And in both your cases, I knew that your behaviors didn't mean you were in any mortal danger."

Makoto stared at her in shock, feeling both relieved that she was actually concerned for him, and more ashamed at his outburst the other day.

"Kyoko, I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so rash from now on. I just got scared because..."

Kyoko laid a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off.

"Look, I get it. It wasn't that long ago that Sayaka died, so your conclusion was a perfectly reasonable one. We just have to be careful about how we react to the conclusions we come to. Letting our base emotions rule our actions means that we let Monokuma win."

Makoto nodded, understanding the lesson that Kyoko was trying to teach.

"So, are we cool?"

Kyoko nodded and shook his hand, catching him off guard.

 _You finally shook my hand…_

Kyoko turned around and walked toward the stairs, calling out "I'm afraid I have other things I have to attend to. Farewell, Makoto."

"Yeah, see you later."

XXX

The next day was relatively quiet; Makoto had grabbed breakfast and had gone back to his room when Byakuya's speech from the other day ran through his mind.

 _If I decide to fight, of course I'll come up with something original. Otherwise, this game of ours will be totally boring, right?_

"He really thinks that this is all just a game. People are dying and all he can think about is winning..."

Makoto's blood began to boil before he caught himself and took a deep breath in order to calm down.

 _This is exactly how I ended up yelling at Kyoko the other day. Wait a minute; I never ended up telling her what about Byakuya's attitude got me so worked up. She probably still thinks it was about his disappearance from breakfast._

 _If I decide to fight, of course I'll come up with something original._

Makoto's blood ran cold as Byakuya's words repeated themselves in his mind. He sat up, getting his shoes on.

 _Kyoko needs to know. If she's unaware of Byakuya's intentions, she could end up next…_

He threw open the door and walked over to Kyoko's door, ringing the doorbell. He waited a few seconds before the door pulled open to reveal Kyoko's confused face.

"Makoto? What's the matter?"

"Sorry, but I remembered something from the other day that I thought you should know. Can I come in so we can talk?"

Her brow furrowing in concern, Kyoko nodded and stepped out of the doorway, allowing Makoto inside before she closed the door.

"Now, what was so urgent that you needed to approach me right this instant?"

"Okm, so it's true that Byakuya's disappearing act had me on edge, but it wasn't what made me so mad the other day."

"Go on..."

"When we all confronted Byakuya, he had been reading a crime novel and told us right then and there that he'd come up with something original if he decided to make a move. His callousness was what set me off, and I thought you should know of his capacity for action should he try something."

 _You were worried about me…_

"Makoto, are you keeping an eye on me?"

"It's not...it's not like I think you can't look out for yourself, 'cause I know from experience you're quite capable..."

Kyoko smiled teasingly and interjected "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill anyone."

"That's not what I was going at, Kyoko. I just didn't want you to be in the dark about anything was all. This is life or death, and I don't want to lose any more friends."

 _He's really concerned, isn't he?..._

She finally grabbed his wrists as he sat down on her bed and tried to bury his face in his hands.

"Makoto, calm down; I was just teasing you earlier. I am truthfully grateful that you took the time to tell me, though it doesn't surprise me at all."

"Why...How?"

"I had already seen Byakuya in the library before you came racing up the stairs, and caught a glance of the cover of what he was reading. How else would I have been able to hint you towards his location?"

 _Oh...duh...I am such a nitwit…_

Makoto rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment once Kyoko released his wrists as he replied "Oh, that makes sense, I guess. Now I feel a little silly for getting so worried..."

Kyoko smiled and assured "Don't be. Your concern is noted and appreciated."

She got up and walked over to the door before opening it and finishing "But as I've stated, I am quite capable of fending for myself, and I have things I need to take care of, so are we finished?"

Makoto nodded and walked out the door, calling out "Goodbye, Kyoko."

She wordlessly closed the door, thinking _That boy's becoming more perceptive. He's still got a ways to go, but his skill of deduction is becoming stronger by the day…_

XXX

Makoto didn't see Kyoko until around dinner time. He was starting to wander back to the dining hall when he ran into Kyoko on the 2nd floor. She seemed lost in thought and didn't see Makoto looking at her.

"Who set this all up? And why did they choose us? There are so many mysteries…"

"So, any leads Kyoko?"

In a rare moment of surprise, Kyoko jumped at the sound of Makoto's voice.

 _He managed to sneak up on me…_

She smiled and replied "Sorry, just talking to myself. I must have been so lost in thought that I didn't hear you coming. I must be slipping..."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, honest..."

She waved him off and assured him "It's fine. It just means I need to do a better job of keeping my guard up. With everything that could happen, it won't do any of us any good to be daydreaming."

Makoto nodded, seeing the sense in her rationale.

 _She's right. With what happened with Sayaka and Leon so far, it makes sense to be on our guard._

"In that case, I'm glad it was me that could help you catch yourself and not someone with more malevolent intentions. It makes me feel more useful, like I can actually pay you back for saving my life before."

 _You are useful, Makoto…_

Before she could vocally protest his lack of self-confidence, Makoto spoke "Anyways, I was just about to head down for dinner. You hungry too?"

Kyoko nodded and started walking toward, leaving Makoto confused.

She turned back to him and called "Well? Didn't you say you were hungry? Hurry up or I'll leave you behind!"

Watching her walk down the stairs, Makoto shook out of his confused daze and called out "Kyoko, wait up" dashing down the stairs to catch up to her.

XXX

 _This is just really weird, even for Hope's Peak standards...First Mondo and Kiyotaka become partners in a bromance after having the most HEATED contest I've ever seen, then Toko becomes infatuated with BYAKUYA of all people after he INSULTS her. What is the world coming to? Is Monokuma now going to turn into Mother Theresa and open the way out as an act of charity?_

"What's the matter? Why are you bouncing around like a little rabbit?"

Makoto jumped in surprise and calmed down to see Kyoko leaning against the wall, watching him with an amused expression.

Makoto sighed in relief and complained "Good god, Kyoko; don't DO that!"

Chuckling, Kyoko shook her head and replied "Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway's, why the pacing and muttering? Don't you have anything to do?"

Makoto sighed and shook his head, replying "Sorry, Kyoko. The past day has just been...weird...and I'm trying to wrap my head around it."

Kyoko furrowed her brow in curiosity as she replied "What do you mean weird? Did you discover something about the school within the past day?"

Makoto shook his head; class trial aside, he had no skill with investigations, at least not enough to have discovered something that Kyoko wouldn't have. And investigating for clues hadn't exactly been on his mind as of late.

"No, nothing that could help with our escape, just...our friends acting weird...forget it, it's nothing. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to me rant anyways."

Kyoko frowned in concern; if Makoto was worried enough to begin acting out of character, then his change in behavior worried her.

"My investigations haven't led to any new leads as of late, and if our classmates have been acting unusual, maybe there's a clue in there. If there's something strange going on, no matter how insignificant, I'd like to know."

Makoto sighed and acquiesced, explaining how Kiyotaka and Mondo asked him to judge their contest late at night, and how everyone was disturbed to see how chummy they had become that morning.

"I mean, it's just so...so...out there! I mean, first they rope me into judging their testosterone contest, then they go from hating each other to being inseparable in less than 12 hours."

"I agree it's strange, but it doesn't seem like anything to stress about. I say just keep your eyes open, but let's not jump to any hasty conclusions about anything. For now it's ultimately harmless."

 _She's right...it's ultimately not worth getting freaked out over…That's not all though!_

He continued to tell her about how Toko had all but barged into his room and begged him to take her to Byakuya.

"And when we get there, she asks ME to go talk to him in her place. What am I, an ambassador? And then after he insults her and makes us leave, she starts swooning over how he INSULTED her. And then she asks me if I think the two of them would make a good couple! I mean, why would anyone ask me that? I'm not a romance expert. I've never been on a date in my life! All these incidents of being roped into other people's antics is really starting to creep me out. I'm nobody special; why can't they ask one of the actual Ultimates instead? For goodness sake, the only reason I'm here at all is because I won a raffle!"

 _You are special, and it's not due to your luck…_

Kyoko sighed as Makoto's tirade ended and she told him "People are coming to trust you, Makoto. With our numbers being dwindled by Sayaka, Junko, and Leon's deaths, this Killing Game is making everyone uneasy about who they can put their trust in. You're friendly with everyone, and you proved through the last trial that you're someone people can trust to not kill them. That makes them drawn to you to help solve their problems, because your innocence makes you special to them."

 _My innocence...makes me special?_

"Thanks, Kyoko...I've probably wasted your time, haven't I?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied "Not at all. It might not have proven to be relevant to our escape, but I assure you, this wasn't a waste of time."

She would have said more, but a familiar ring echoed through the halls, filling Makoto with dread.

"All students, please gather in the gym immediately. Emergency! Emergency!"

 _Emergency...what on earth does that mean? Has someone already been murdered?_

He turned to face Kyoko, a pensive expression forming on her face.

"Oh, Kyoko! Did you hear the announcement just now?"

"Yes..."

"I don't want to go, but...we don't have any other choice, right?"

Kyoko nodded and replied "I can't imagine it's going to be good news. But it's not a good idea to defy him here and now...So I'm going on ahead."

She turned on her heel and walked away from him, Makoto on her heel calling out "Hey Kyoko, wait up; we shouldn't go alone!"

XXX

By the time Makoto and Kyoko had entered the gymnasium, everyone else had already filed inside, anxiously waiting for Monokuma's announcement. Makoto took a brief headcount and sighed with relief.

 _Alright; everyone's here. Good; nobody's been murdered. So what's the emergency?_

Byakuya, to everyone's ire, chuckled about how Monokuma kept things interesting, then mockingly asked Aoi what happened to her assertion that the police would rescue them. This made Aoi wonder what had happened that the police wouldn't come and shut down an institution so obviously heinous.

"It's strange, that's true. There's no way the police wouldn't know about it. We're right in the middle of a major urban area" Kyoko remarked.

They continued to debate amongst themselves before the familiar stuffed bear popped up from behind the podium.

"He's arrived…" Kyoko remarked dryly.

Monokuma joined in the speculation of the noise that Yasuhiro had heard, but only to the point of making everyone worked up.

Refusing to be swayed by Monokuma's antics, Kyoko interjected "Fine, then let's move on to what you can tell us. Why did you call us all here?"

Monokuma revealed that he had found out about an embarrassing secret that all of them had, and that he'd reveal all of them to the world if there wasn't a murder in 24 hours. With that, the conniving bear made his dramatic exit, leaving everyone stunned.

Kiyotaka tried to get everyone to reveal their secrets to each other, so any motive for murder wouldn't exist, but only a handful of the remaining students were eager to take part in the suggestion, so it was quickly dropped. With that, everyone started to disperse back to their own rooms.

As Makoto and Kyoko walked back to their dorms, Kyoko noticed a pensive expression overtake Makot, making her concerned.

"Makoto, what's wrong? You said it yourself; none of us would kill anyone over a few secrets, so why the gloom?"

 _I know I said as much, but still…_

"I can't explain it; I just have this really bad omen, like something's gonna happen, but I don't know what."

 _Well, he's acknowledging the possibility, so at least he's being realistic…_

"Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see. We don't know how each of our classmates will react to Monokuma's motive, so we just have to wait it out for now."

Makoto nodded in understanding and reluctant agreement.

"By the way...I'm curious, since you were fairly adamant about knowing what was on my DVD a few days ago. Why didn't you ask me what my secret was?"

"That's easy. Those secrets were meant to motivate us to kill. And you told me yourself that you wouldn't kill anyone, so I trust you."

 _You...you trust me?_

"I mean, sure, I'd like it if you trusted me enough to share that kind of a secret with me, but I respect your right to privacy, so I'm not going to push you on the matter."

Kyoko smiled and replied "...Maybe another time. Good night, Makoto."

The door closed behind her, leaving Makoto to wander to his own room, plopping down on the bed as he fell asleep.

XXX

Everyone rushed into the locker room, taking in the gruesome sight of Chihiro's crucified corpse with horror. Kyoko still held her neutral, analytic expression, but a hint of concern glimmered in her eyes as she looked at Makoto, relieved that although he was clearly appalled and shocked at Chihiro's death, he showed no signs of having fainted like he had with Sayaka's murder.

"BLOOD LUST. Did...did she write that herself? But if so, why? And how did she get crucified like that?"

Kyoko shook her head and offered "I don't think it's any kind of dying message. It's just too...strange…"

Byakuya asserted that the serial killer Genocide Jack had to be behind it, then after Monokuma distributed the Monokuma file, urged with an uncomfortable level of excitement for everyone to just treat Chihiro's corpse as an ordinary object during the investigation. Makoto and most everyone bristled at Byakuya's callousness.

 _I know we have to solve this case, but come on! Can't we approach this with some sensitivity?_

It was Kyoko who eventually settled the argument between Byakuya and the others by interjecting "Everyone stop bickering. Listen, there's some truth in what Byakuya said."

"Kyoko!"

Makoto bristled at her seemingly agreement with Byakuya.

"If we don't solve the mystery and find the killer, or own lives are forfeit. And if Byakuya is right that Genocide Jack is somehow the one who killed Chihiro...then unless we do something, more victims could start piling up."

 _I know but…_

Makoto steeled himself, begrudgingly acknowledging the wisdom in Kyoko's words. His composure was shattered however, when Byakuya told him that he would be letting him cooperate with him during the investigation.

 _Work with...Byakuya?_

Makoto felt a chill run down his spine as he imagined working with the same Byakuya that viewed this game as nothing more than entertainment, who said that he'd come up with something original when he decided to participate. His shaking was calmed when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Gasping, he turned to look at Kyoko's calm expression.

"I have my own investigation to do here anyways; it might be a good idea to go with Byakuya this once. You'll be fine; it'll be away from the crime scene, and you look like you could use some air."

Makoto nodded, calmed down after hearing Kyoko's words, and followed Byakuya out the door.

XXX

Makoto reentered the crime scene, shivering with fear after Byakuya's revelations.

 _I don't know who to be afraid of more now; the mastermind or Byakuya. Ruling the world, secret societies; what is he, Lex Luthor?_

Approaching Kyoko, he felt a strange sense of calm enter him, making him shake his head at the irony.

 _I feel calm entering a crime scene...everything's relative, I suppose._

He turned to face Kyoko and asked "Hey, Kyoko...have you made any progress on your investigation?"

"Generally speaking. But I have to get going. I have something unrelated to take care of."

Makoto raised his brow in curiosity and asked "Something besides the investigation? What...is it?"

Kyoko merely waived her hand and replied "Nothing you need to worry about. Just concentrate on the murder."

As she stood up and turned away, Makoto protested "But..." _Why are you being so secretive, Kyoko? Shouldn't we be sharing information with each other right now, no matter how irrelevant?_

Before opening the door, Kyoko offered "Before I go, let me give you one piece of advice. You should examine Chihiro's body one more time. Thoroughly. Also, her handbook is missing. You might want to determine its whereabouts. That's it. I'll be praying for your success."

As the door closed, Makoto thought _My success? Yeah right; you're gonna solve this case and save us all again. All I'm good for is getting on the right track._

Makoto sighed and turned to examine Chihiro's corpse one more time, attempting to find out what Kyoko had tried to lead him to.

XXX

It was some time later that Monokuma had announced the start of the trial, and everyone had gathered in the waiting area. Everyone was waiting anxiously, though Monokuma had to drag Toko in by the braid kicking and screaming. At last, the elevator arrived and everyone started to file in.

Makoto started to sweat as he spoke to himself out loud "We have no choice, right? We have to do this."

"Yes."

Makoto jumped at how Kyoko had snuck up behind him again.

"Shall we begin?"

Makoto nodded and took the steps into the elevator, nervousness filling him as the elevator departed for the second class trial.

XXX

"And the wound on the victim's head is consistent with the shape of the dumbbell. As far as I'm concerned, there's no mistake and no room for doubt on this one."

 _Glad we could get that out of the way. Now that there's no automatic suspect, we're at a much greater degree of freedom to dig into facts and not jump to conclusions._

With the murder weapon solidified, the case moved on to discussing whodunnit. At this point, Byakuya returned to his presumption that Genocide Jack had committed the crime. Furthermore, he revealed that Toko was secretly Genocide Jack, citing secret police reports and Toko's sudden shift in behavior after seeing Chihiro's corpse as evidence. Afterward, to everyone's horror, Byakuya caused Toko to faint by overwhelming her, causing Genocide Jack to take over as Toko stood up. As if that wasn't shocking enough, Genocide Jack revealed that she had no hand in Chihiro's murder. To everyone's surprise, Makoto agreed, citing Chihiro's lack of stab wounds and the use of rope rather than scissors to suspend her.

After Genocide Jack added that she only killed adorable little men, it became grudgingly obvious that as heinous and psychotic as Genocide Jack was, she couldn't have been the one to kill Chihiro. With that out of the way, the question became who else would have had the inside knowledge to replicate Genocide Jack's methods with that degree of accuracy.

 _Wait...inside knowledge...I got it!_

Makoto immediately pointed suspicion at Byakuya, pointing out that as the heir to the Togami Corporation, he had already seen that file and would have had no problem replicating Genocide Jack's methods. He also pointed out how Byakuya insisted on investigating the girl's locker room first, before anyone knew that the victim was Chihiro. To Makoto's confusion, Byakuya smiled in amusement.

"I see...That's a good answer, I must admit. Interesting. Very interesting indeed! But your reasoning is still too weak!"

"Huh?" _I don't get it! Why isn't he sweating?_

"What's the matter? You're not finished already, are you? There must be more to it..."

"Th...There is...I think..." Makoto stammered, caught off guard by Byakuya's demand for more proof.

 _Looks like he needs a little nudge…_ "There is more to it. Think about it. We just talked about the differences between this case and past Genocide Jack incidents. The proof you're looking for is hidden in there…"

"Oh? Proof that I'm the culprit?" _Amusing; let's see where this double team leads us..._ Byakuya thought, surprised but amused at the turn of events.

Discussion then turned to the rope used to suspend Chihiro.

At that point, Byakuya boasted "I'd never seen that rope before in my life!"

 _Wait a minute...you HAVE seen it before!_

Makoto revealed that the rope was actually an extension cord; the same one that Byakuya was using for the lamp in the library. Once that had been settled, everyone immediately believed that Byakuya was the culprit. However, Makoto wasn't convinced.

 _It seems...too obvious. And besides, he just seems too...calm. It's unnerving. I don't think we can call this case yet!_

Makoto brought up the point that Chihiro may have been killed in the boy's locker room, then transported to the girl's locker room, citing the swapped posters and carpets as evidence. The discussion then turned to how Chihiro could have even entered the boy's locker room. Yasuhiro brought up the possibility that Chihiro used Leon's handbook, since he was dead, but that was shot down on account of Leon's handbook being broken. Kiyotaka suggested that Chihiro hacked her handbook to gain entry, but Monokuma shot that down by citing the security system in each handbook.

Everyone was stumped; nobody could think of how Chihiro's corpse could have been moved. Makoto looked down in despair, wracking his brain for any other possibilities.

 _Are we really...back at square one?_

 _Looks like he's gonna need some help with this one..._

It was then that his hopes were rescued by Kyoko's reassurance "...Hold on a second. I agree with you, though. I think you're on the right track."

Mondo objected, dumbfounded at Kyoko's vouching for Makoto's theory, and exclaimed that there was no way that Chihiro could have gotten into the boy's locker room.

 _Are you sure about that, Mondo? And why so forceful?_ "Why are you so sure she couldn't get in? There's still one other way she could have gained access."

 _One other way? What are you trying to tell me, Kyoko?_

As Mondo and Kiyotaka expressed disbelief at Kyoko's theory and demanded an explanation, Kyoko replied "Well, to explain that...why don't we take a little break from the trial? I'd like you all to come see something."

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" _How dare she! This is MY courtroom; I call the shots around here!_

Shaking her head, Kyoko chuckled and answered Monokuma "Don't worry. This'll make the whole trial more exciting. I'm sure that thought must please you?"

Pleased at the thought of being more entertained, Monokuma granted a brief trial recess, but warned Kyoko that he'd be very unhappy if what she wanted to present turned out to be boring.

"Oh, I have no doubt it'll meet your lofty expectations. So, shall we go?"

XXX

"...The girl's locker room?"

 _Why are we back here? We already investigated the crime scene. What could we have possibly overlooked?_

As Kiyotaka demanded what Kyoko was doing, she calmly replied "I'd like you to examine the victim's body, one more time."

 _You want to check it again? For what?_

"Be sure to examine the entire body very carefully. Take your time."

 _Examine...you mean...like in NCIS and all those other crime shows?_

All the other boys caught on and expressed great displeasure at running their hands over Chihiro's corpse, even for the purposes of solving her murder.

"...What about you, Makoto? Are you willing to examine Chihiro?"

 _Why me? I still get squeamish around murder scenes, now you want me to touch Chihiro's corpse? Well, I guess somebody has to, so I should take one for the team, I guess...I'm gonna have nightmares for the next week though…_

"...Very well. I'll do it."

Makoto looked at Sakura in surprise, guiltily feeling grateful that he was spared from the task that she was about to undertake. Aoi protested to just let one of the boys do it, but Sakura countered that Chihiro would have wanted a girl to examine her.

As Sakura prepared to conduct the examination, Kyoko reiterated "Be sure to check her entire body, and I believe we will solve this particular mystery."

Sakura did as she asked, then froze partway through.

"Sakura?"

Sakura jumped back, screaming and yelling "Impossible. It's not possible!"

"What? What is it?"

"This girl is...a boy!"

Makoto's eyes widened as everyone save for Kyoko screamed in shock.

"Chihiro was...a guy?"

Before anyone else could say anything further, Monokuma appeared and confirmed it to everyone, then insisted that the trial recommence. With that, everyone awkwardly followed Monokuma back to the elevator, unsure what to make of this revelation.

 _Was that...Chihiro's secret? Kyoko...how did you figure it out?_

XXX

"Yes, well...I don't know his reason for hiding it, but the fact is, Chihiro was not a girl, but a boy."

 _No way...the thought had never even crossed my mind...If Kyoko hadn't deduced it, we would have been sunk!_

"And because the victim was male, he would have had no problem gaining access to the boys locker room." After Monokuma confirmed that Chihiro's handbook listed his sexuality as male, Kyoko concluded "So then, there should be no issue with Makoto's initial assertion. The victim was killed in the boys locker room, and was then later moved to the girls locker room. And the killer could have easily used Sayaka or Junko's handbook to get into the girls locker room."

"So Chihiro really was killed in the boy's locker room?"

Turning to Kiyotaka's aghast expression, Kyoko answered "I still don't understand the motive for moving the body, but...yes, that does seem plausible."

Everyone then turned their suspicions back on Byakuya, to which Byakuya merely chuckled and remarked how interesting this case was.

Turning to Makoto, Kyoko asked "What about you, Makoto? After everything we've learned, do you still think Byakuya's the killer?"

 _Is he? I mean sure, it's clear as day he manipulated the scene, but still...Byakuya said he'd do something original. And this...this isn't original at all...No, there's more to this, and unless we figure it out, we all die!_ Shaking his head, Makoto answered "I think he might not actually be the killer at all."

Makoto explained that it was too obvious, and that the revelations about the change in location and of Chihiro's actual sexuality wouldn't have shocked him if he was the culprit. With a disappointed gleam in his eye, Byakuya confirmed that he was not the culprit, then challenged Makoto to name the real murderer.

 _I...I don't know. There's still so much we don't know yet, and until we do, we can't definitively say who did it._ Swallowing hard, Makoto answered "W-Well...I don't think I can say for sure without talking about it a little more."

When Yasuhiro complained that they were all sure Byakuya did it, Kyoko interjected "No, I'm with Makoto. If there's any doubt whatsoever, we need to explore every possibility. Because if we're wrong, we all die here."

With that everyone declared their agreement, and the debate moved on to how Celeste had seen Chihiro before he died, who had been stuffing a track jacket into a duffel bag before hurrying out. Celeste hypothesized that whoever he was meeting with, he trusted very much. Aoi continued that whoever Chihiro met with must have been the culprit.

"But knowing what we know now, I can't even guess..."

 _Alright, secret weapon time!_ "...No, you already have what you need to make the connection."

"Huh?"

"You know who the killer is."

 _I know who the killer is? Well I'm drawing a blank here, Kyoko!_

"Think back to the track jacket and duffel bag the killer disposed of. Focus on the details of these items, and it should become obvious who was waiting for him."

 _But we barely even mentioned them. How can we draw a conclusion about two items that we don't even have anymore?_

Celeste expressed Makoto's doubts, and Byakuya noted that there was nothing to get any fingerprints from, even if they had the technology to get them.

Kyoko shook her head and countered "Maybe, but we can make certain inferences, if we just take the time to talk it out."

Sakura revealed that the warehouse contained a wide variety of track suits to choose from, and wondered if there was a connection between the culprit and Chihiro's jacket.

"Perhaps. Let's explore that, and talk a bit more about the jacket he took."

 _Does Chihiro's jacket really hold some clue about the killer? It has to; I trust Kyoko's intuition! If she says there's a connection, then there's a connection!_

Kyoko started the debate by summarizing "First of all, we know where Chihiro was headed...He was on his way to go exercise. So next we have to ask...Why did he choose the specific tracksuit that he did?"

Kiyotaka hypothesized that the two tracksuits matched colors, to which Mondo mused "So what you're saying is...The killer was wearing the same blue tracksuit as him?"

As Makoto focused on the debate, he felt something soft hit his knuckles.

 _Huh?_

He looked down to see a crumpled ball of paper on top of his hand. Grabbing it, he say in Kyoko's handwriting the message "You heard him, right? What he just said without even realizing it?"

 _Kyoko?_

Looking across from him, he saw Kyoko give him a subtle wink, making him blush before focusing on her note.

 _What he said without realizing it...wait a minute...we never talked about the color of the suit. That's it!_

Makoto immediately questioned Mondo as to how he could have known that the suit's color was blue. Everyone grew incredibly more suspicious when Celeste revealed she only ever told Makoto that tidbit before the trial.

Kiyotaka tried to defend Mondo, saying that he must have seen it during the investigation, but Kyoko shot that possibility down, countering "No, that can't be it. The bag and clothes were surely disposed of by the time we began our investigation."

Mondo tried to defend that he saw it briefly as he ran into Chihiro in the hallway, but Makoto rebuffed him, saying that Chihiro made a point to stuff it out of sight after running into Celeste at the warehouse.

"If you just ran into him briefly, you couldn't possibly have seen what color the tracksuit was."

As Monod stood there fuming, Kyoko smirked and taunted "It would appear you've dug your own grave."

"Perhaps, but you handed him the shovel, didn't you? That's why you said what you did..."

 _Huh?_

Everyone else then exclaimed that Kyoko's statement about the tracksuit was all a bluff to draw out Mondo's slip of the tongue.

 _So...I hadn't been missing something? The killer hadn't revealed himself yet; she just said that to put him on edge?_

Smiling, Kyoko confirmed "That's right. However..." She pointed her ifnger directly at Mondo and declared "Mondo was my target all along. I had my suspicions about him from the very beginning!"

"But why? What made you so suspicious?"

Makoto looked at Kyoko's smiling expression and answered "That's a good question. Why don't you tell us the answer, Makoto?"

 _She's testing me again...wait a minute...Mondo's speech patterns...could that be what tipped her off?_

Rather than leave Makoto guessing, Kyoko revealed "There was a certain tipping point that tipped me off. Maybe you didn't notice it, Mondo, but you tend to refer to men and women differently. You only call guys dude. For girls, it's chick. And after he was killed, you happened to refer to him as dude. Once I picked up on that, it occurred to me that Mondo knew something we didn't."

 _That's right. I guess since the possibility of Chihiro being a boy didn't cross my mind, Mondo's difference in speech pattern flew over my head. But it totally makes sense!_

After Hifumi exclaimed in shock that Kyoko noticed such a seemingly insignificant detail, and Genocide Jack called her a frightful witch, Kyoko shook her head and replied "No, I'm not the frightful one. Not nearly as frightful as someone capable of murdering a friend."

"Mondo...did you really do it?"

At this, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader fumed and started ranting about how everyone was putting words in his mouth. Kiyotaka jumped in to defend Mondo, proclaiming it to be a false accusation.

Kyoko acquiesced "It's true, my reasoning on that is pretty shaky."

"Th...That was fast..." _Is Kyoko really...wrong? But then why would she have brought it up?_

At this point, with some encouragement from Yasuhiro after second guessing himself, Hifumi brought up a broken Handbook he found.

 _A broken handbook...wait...Chihiro's handbook was missing when he turned up dead...I got it!_

"We know Chihiro's handbook was missing from the scene of the crime, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko replied "For a fact."

As Byakuya remarked on how the handbooks were supposed to be sturdy, Monokuma cackled about how the handbooks were nearly indestructible.

As Celeste remarked about how they seemed to have an unusually high failure rate after both Leon and Chihiro's handbooks broke, Monokuma cackled and challenged "Do you think there might be some kind of mystery in there somewhere? How precisely did the handbooks get broken?"

 _How did they get broken...wait a minute...he mentioned a weak point earlier...I got it!_

Makoto revealed that Monokuma mentioned that the handbooks had a weak point, much ot the bear's chagrin. Monokuma protested that he never said what the weak point actually was.

"But if the handbook is supposed to never break, and two of them broke in quick succession, then..."

"The we can only assume that someone's figured out its weakness. You know what the weakness is, right Monokuma? So, what is it?"

After noticing that Kyoko was looking directly at him, Monokuma jumped and exclaimed "Huh? You're asking me?"

Kyoko smiled and answered "Why not? I think it's a necessary piece of information if you want this to be a fair trial."

After much prodding my Aoi, Monokuma acquiesced and explained that exposure to high temperatures would cause a handbook to short-circuit. Hifumi revealed that he found the handbook in the sauna.

 _If the handbook was found in the sauna…_ "Then the killer must have been purposely trying to raise its temperature in order to break it!"

 _Well done, Makoto._

With that, everyone started trying to determine how the culprit even knew of its weakness, since Monokuma never told anyone before the trial.

 _How would he have known about it?_

"What if they found out by accident?"

Sakura looked at Kyoko, dumbfounded and asked "What do you mean, by accident?"

"What if the killer took their own handbook into the sauna, not knowing its weakness, and it broke? They'd realize it was broken, of course, and it wouldn't be hard to figure out why. And once they had Chihiro's handbook, they knew they had an easy way to dispose of it."

Byakuya wondered who would have done that, making Makoto's eyes open in epiphany.

 _Into the sauna...Oh my god! The bet that night...I got it! Okay; here's my answer._ "Mondo...your handbook got broken in the sauna, didn't it?"

Makoto revealed that Mondo and Kiyotaka asked him to referee an endurance contest the night before the murder, and that Mondo had worn all his clothes during the contest. Makoto hypothesized that Mondo never took his handbook out of his jacket and discovered afterwards that his handbook stopped working. Kiyotaka jumped in to vigorously defend Mondo from suspicion, but Kyoko broke up the squabble.

"Let's test Makoto's assertion. If what he says is correct, then Mondo...You broke your own handbook."

Mondo fumed and retorted "Well my goddamned handbook works just fine!"

 _Wait a minute...your handbook...Monokuma said that Leon's handbook never should have broken. What if...oh god!_ "Mondo...the handbook you have right now...is it really yours?"

As Mondo stood there, dumbfounded by Makoto's question, Makoto clarified that he thought that Mondo swapped out his broken handbook with Leon's handbook. After Monokuma ruled that taking a dead student's handbook wasn't a violation of school rules, Makoto offered Mondo a chance to prove him wrong.

"I'm happy to admit I made a mistake..." _I WISH that this was a mistake…_

As Kiyotaka forcefully tried to rebut everything Makoto said, Makoto went through the case one last time, outlining the events of Chihiro's death and Mondo's cover-up, adding in Byakuya's interference for good measure.

Kiyotaka started ranting about how there was no evidence to convict Mondo, but through it all Makoto calmly challenged everyone to check their handbooks at that moment, which would prove whether Makoto's theory was right. As Kiyotaka was about to object, Mondo silenced him, confessing that he was guilty, and urging for the verdict.

With that, everyone, save for Kiyotaka, voted Mondo guilty. As Kiyotaka stared incredulously at Mondo, tears bubbling at the surface and screaming why he's done it, Monokuma interjected with Chihiro's backstory and request of Mondo to help him become stronger to overcome his inferiority complex.

"So then, that must be why Mondo did what he did - to keep the promise he'd made to Chihiro."

 _Did what he did..._ Makoto's eyes widened in realization as he asked "That's why Mondo carried Chihiro from the boy's locker room into the girl's locker room?"

Kyoko nodded and replied "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

When Hifumi asked if it could have only been done to cover up his crime, Kyoko shook her head and replied "That could have been part of it, but I don't think that was the main reason. The real purpose was to keep the promise between men he'd made to Chihiro."

"But...how does moving the body keep his secret?"

Sighing, Kyoko elaborated "Because if everyone knew he'd been killed in the boys locker room...then everyone would have been arguing about how she got into the boys locker room, right? Once that started up, at least a few of us would have immediately begun to suspect his identity. So...He tried to protect Chihiro's secret by putting him in the girls locker room and stealing his handbook. See?"

Mondo's silence was eerie, until Kiyotaka couldn't handle it anymore. Crying and angry, he grabbed Mondo by the lapels of his jacket and demanded to know why.

Forcing the words out of his mouth, Mondo squeaked "Because...no matter what, I didn't want anyone to know..."

Kyoko hummed in understanding and spoke "So that's what triggered it, after all. The possibility of having your embarrassing memories and secrets exposed…"

 _Mondo…_

XXX

After exposing Mondo's secret of having inadvertently caused his brother's death, Monokuma forced everyone to watch Mondo's execution, despite Kiyotaka's pleas to execute him instead. Everyone watched in horror as Mondo was forced onto a motorcycle into an electrified death cage, then turned into a container of butter. Makoto looked way from Kiyotaka's sobbing frame, feeling anger at Monokuma's twisted sense of entertainment. Aoi expressed disgust along with Makoto at Byakuya's continued view that this was just a game.

Feeling disgust as well at Byakuya's callous attitude, but better able to mask it, Kyoko seethed "I don't have anything to say to you. I don't have a response, except that...I just don't understand why. Why did you go out of your way to disguise Mondo's crime?"

It was a mystery that had never been solved by the trial, and the answer was one that made Makoto wish the question had never been asked. Byakuya revealed that he had seen Mondo's murder on his way back to his room, and decided to withhold that information and to alter the crime scene so that the trial wouldn't become boring.

"So after hearing about Genocide Jack from Toko, you decided to use that...to create the fake murder scene?"

Byakuya smiled and remarked how it was ultimately necessary, then glared at Makoto and said something that sent chills down Makoto's spine.

"Once I do decide to become blackened, I now know who I'll have to watch out for."

Kyoko felt a desire to protect rise within her, but pushed it back down as she mused "So that was your reason…"

"Are you satisfied?"

 _Unless your next plot involves killing another student, then for now yes._ "Yes. We're done listening to your story. Moving on...There's something I'd like to ask Monokuma."

As Monokuma turned to Kyoko in confusion, she clarified "You like to perform these elaborate executions each time, correct? My question is...why?"

Monokuma cackled and proclaimed that the resulting despair was his gift to mankind.

Kyoko scoffed and retorted "You're exaggerating."

Monokuma then ranted about how the punishments were meant to transform hope into despair. As Byakuya threatened to kill Monokuma once he was the victor, Monokuma cackled and disappeared from sight. With all their business seemingly settled, everyone filed into the elevator, Sakura supporting the still sobbing Kiyotaka into the elevator as the door closed behind them, symbolizing the end of yet another class trial.

XXX

Dinner was a quiet affair; Aoi and Kiyotaka weren't even present, the day's events too traumatizing for them to be able to partake in the food. It wasn't long before everyone else followed suit; their appetites lost, most everyone returned to their rooms as soon as they sufficiently filled their stomachs, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone at the dinner table.

"...How are you feeling? Stupid question, I know, but I thought I should ask."

Makoto looked up from his plate, seeing Kyoko's lavender eyes peering at him with concern.

Makoto chuckled without humor and replied "Your questions have a tendency to save our lives, Kyoko. They're never stupid. And I'm doing alright, considering the circumstances."

Kyoko nodded in understanding as she replied "That's good. You seem to be handling this one better than the last one."

It didn't take a genius to understand where Kyoko was going with this; Makoto replied "Last time, Sayaka was killed in my room, and I was the lead suspect. I felt so nauseous and guilt ridden because even though I hadn't been the one to kill her, I felt responsible, like I should have been able to prevent it."

Before Kyoko could interject, Makoto held up his hand, continuing "And yes, I know that both she and Leon shared some of the blame of what happened. I may not have been able to mourn properly, but I've come to terms with that. This murder, no, manslaughter was different; I had no interaction with Mondo or Chihiro at the time when he died. As a result, there was no way I could have been a suspect, nor was there an opportunity for me to stop it. I'll always wish that I could have stopped it, but I don't feel the same guilt that I did with Sayaka."

Kyoko smiled, happy that Makoto wasn't exuding the same aura of depression that he was when Sayaka died. However, her smile settled into a frown when she saw Makoto look down in melancholy.

"What's wrong?"

Makoto sighed and replied "It's just...I shouldn't be surprised by now, but I just get so worked up whenever I hear how callously Byakuya views this whole thing. I mean, framing Genocide Jack just to keep the trial entertaining for him? Doesn't he understand that people are dying because of this? We're all traumatized by what's happening. The last thing we need is him meddling just because he doesn't want to be bored!"

Makoto huffed and looked away, causing Kyoko to place her gloved hand on his in comfort.

"Byakuya think of feelings as insignificant. It's cold and cruel, but it'll come back to bite him someday."

Makoto smiled, feeling better after hearing Kyoko's karmic prediction.

 _It's probably a lot more accurate than Yasuhiro's predictions_.

Makoto chuckled at the thought, causing Kyoko to look at him and ask "What's so amusing?"

Makoto waved off her concern, replying "Oh nothing; just thought of something hilarious, but it's irrelevant."

As the two continued to pick away at their food, Makoto's mind wandered to the trial, and to Byakuya's explanations after Mondo's execution.

 _No, Byakuya; Kyoko's who you need to watch out for; I just got lucky and made a few contributions along the way._ Looking at Kyoko, he thought to himself _And she should know that too!_

Makoto cleared his throat and started "You know, I don't think Byakuya was right when he implied that he'd have to watch out for me if he decided to become blackened."

Kyoko paused in the middle of taking a bite, raising an eyebrow at Makoto's assertion.

 _What does he mean by that? And what brought this on?_

Makoto clarified "Throughout this entire case, you were the one who brought us closer to the truth, not me. You deduced Chihiro's sexuality, and your strategy made Mondo slip up. My contributions were minimal at best. If Byakuya ever does turn to the dark side, so to speak, he should watch out for you, not me."

 _Don't sell yourself so short, Makoto. All I did was give you a nudge when you needed it._ "What brought this on?"

Makoto shrugged and replied "I had just been thinking of it since the trial, and figured I should give credit where it was due, is all."

 _Then give credit to yourself, too. You could stand to have a more inflated ego, Makoto._

The two continued to eat in silence, mulling over what the other had said, until Makoto asked "I've been curious; why didn't you outright reveal that Chihiro was a guy during the trial, or tell one of us during the investigation?"

"I suspect it was for the same reason that Mondo tried to keep Chihiro's secret after killing him. I didn't feel it was my place to reveal his secret if it could have been avoided. Unfortunately, it became clear that we couldn't expose Mondo without bringing it to light, so unfortunately we had no choice but to violate his privacy. And, I did try to tell you discreetly during the investigation."

 _But when would she have…_ "Oh, you meant when you told me to examine his body thoroughly?"

Kyoko nodded, and no more was said. The two continued to eat their dinner in silence, and when they were done, both stood up and started walking toward their dorms.

Before they parted, Kyoko turned to Makoto and urged him "Be careful, Makoto. Regardless of who, or even if, Byakuya decides to target, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. Your openness and honesty on the other hand, leaves open opportunities for others to take advantage of you, which puts you at a greater risk of being attacked than I."

As she said this, Kyoko felt that desire to protect rage in her. Though she was able to hide it, the presence left her concerned.

 _Why am I feeling this? Why do I feel so...focused on protecting Makoto?_

Though he found it strange, Makoto didn't feel insulted by Kyoko's warning. Instead, he felt strangely comforted that Kyoko was watching out for him.

Smiling, he answered "Okay, Kyoko. I'll be a bit more careful from now on. Good night."

As the two went into their own separate rooms, Kyoko allowed a smile on her face and placed her hand over her heart.

 _I promise I'll protect you, Makoto._

She was still dumbfounded by the newfound desire, but she would not ignore it.


	4. Chapter Three: A Next Generation Legend!

A/N: I think this may be the longest chapter of fiction I've ever written. 17,000 words. Sorry this turned out to be so long, but I couldn't really trim it down that much. Let me know what you think in the review section. Enjoy!

Chapter Three: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero!

Makoto walked into the dining hall to find Kyoko, Hifumi, Sakura, Celeste, Yasuhiro, and Kiyotaka gathered around the table, waiting for him.

"So it's just the seven of us, then?" Kyoko mused after seeing just how empty the once crowded table had become over the past couple of weeks.

Makoto nodded, then looked over to Kiyotaka, who had looked as pale as a ghost and was as silent as a ghost. Makoto flashed back to Sayaka's death and imagined what he was like during that time.

 _I guess I was the same as him. At least in my case, Kyoko managed to get me out of my depression by urging me to search for the truth. But Kiyotaka; his closest friend is dead, and the truth is what caused him to be like this in the first place. Is there really nothing I can do to cheer him up?_

It was then decided that everyone would help to check out the newly opened 3rd floor. Makoto was the last to arrive; looking around he say Kyoko waiting near the stairwell.

Walking over to her, he asked "So, any news on this floor?"

"So the 3rd floor opened up this time...After a brief investigation, it looks like there's a physics lab and an art room. I also found a huge machine of some kind in the physics lab. I wonder what it does…"

Makoto nodded and replied "Thanks; I'll check it out."

Before he could turn the corner, Kyoko called out "Makoto!"

Turning his head, Makoto looked back at her, curious as to why she stopped him.

"In the physics lab...I saw Kiyotaka. I know you're concerned about him, but the best thing you can do for him now is give him time."

"H...How?"

Kyoko shook her head and chuckled, replying "You wear your emotions on your sleeve. That, and I just have good intuition."

Blushing slightly, Makoto nodded, answering "Okay. I understand. See you later, Kyoko."

Makoto then left and turned the corner, off to investigate the rest of the 3rd floor.

XXX

Before long, everyone gathered in the dining hall to reveal what they had discovered on the 3rd floor. Everyone was surprised to find Aoi, who they had thought was sick. Before long, Aoi, Genocide Jack, and Sakura got into a verbal sparring match over a pointless comment, leaving everyone else save Kiyotaka shaking their heads. Since Kiyotaka was mor eor less a zombie, it was Yasuhiro who broke it up.

"Guys, come on! We're supposed to be discussing what we found on the 3rd floor, not fighting with each other like little children on a playground."

After everyone calmed down, Kyoko started by revealing "There was a rather remarkable physics lab on the 3rd floor. In the middle of the room, there was a machine bigger than anything I've ever seen before…"

"Oh yeah, apparently it's an air purifier."

With Makoto's clarification, the discussion continued with Hifumi revealing how there was an art room, which diverged once Makoto revealed the digital camera he found that Hifumi revealed was originally his. After a brief, but passionate exchange about how he didn't want it anymore now that it was no longer in mint condition, Celeste ended up with the camera. Celeste then revealed that there was a game room on the 3rd floor, and Aoi revealed that the nurse's office on the 1st floor was now open.

 _A lot of good that does us; there's no nurse here, and any wounds we suffer are likely to be fatal anyways…_

When everyone turned to Makoto, he stood and thought for a second.

 _Did I see anything that nobody else caught? Game room, art room, physics lab with the camera...wait a minute, the photo!_

"Hey, um...can I tell you guys something? I found something that's...kinda bothering me."

Kyoko turned to Makoto, concerned and asked "What is it?"

Makoto spoke about the photo he found that revealed Mondo, Leon, and Chihiro all throwing their arms around each other in a classroom before Monokuma snatched it.

"Those three…?"

 _What happened? Did they...know each other before we arrived?_

Yasuhiro concluded that the three of them must still be alive and took that picture. Kyoko and Makoto shook their heads, with Makoto thinking _I wish that was the case._

"That's impossible. After all...we saw it with our own eyes. They're all dead. Either murdered or executed."

Celeste concluded that the photo must have been forged. Makoto tried to protest, but stopped when Kyoko put her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her in surprise.

"Kyoko?"

She leaned closer and whispered "We can figure this strange photo out later. We have other, more important things to focus on at the moment."

Makoto nodded, but didn't miss the concern look in Kyoko's eyes; apparently she had been just as affected by the photo as he was.

 _Kyoko...what are you thinking?_

Celeste then continued to accuse Aoi of lying about a stomachache, and Aoi crumbled after some deceit on Celeste's part. After some gentle prodding on Sakura's part, Aoi divulged how she had gone to the warehouse for some donuts, and went into the bathhouse after hearing some noise and found what she assumed to be a ghost of Chihiro in one of the lockers.

"A ghost? You mean like, THAT ghost?" Hifumi exclaimed in shock.

"Is there more than one ghost…?" Kyoko retorted dryly.

Celeste waved it off as Aoi's overactive imagination, only for Sakura to suggest everyone go and look for themselves, overruling Celests and Yasuhiro's objections.

"Kyoko...what do you think?" Makoto asked, torn between wanting to believe Aoi and his skepticism in the supernatural.

She turned to him and replied "I don't see the harm in going. Worst case scenario, we find nothing and Celeste was right." She then turned to the Ultimate Gambler and asked "What are you going to do, Celeste?"

Celeste sighed and acquiesced to go look in the locker. With that, everyone left the dining hall.

XXX

Before long, everyone save Byakuya, Toko, and Kiyotaka had congregated in the bathhouse. Makoto was still skeptic; he didn't peg Aoi for a prankster, but…

 _A ghost? I mean, this school is absolutely crazy, but it's not Hogwarts._ Makoto turned to Kyoko and whispered "Kyoko, are we seriously considering the possibility that a ghost is roaming the halls?"

Kyoko glared at Makoto as she whispered back "If Hina saw something as she claims, there might be something here in the locker."

Makoto sighed, hearing no room for debate in Kyoko's voice and resigned "Ok Aoi; what locker was it that you saw the ghost in?" As Aoi pointed to a slightly ajar locker, Makoto approached it, asking "Um...is it this locker?"

Aoi nodded and Makoto proceeded to open the locker door to see a green laptop sitting in the locker.

"...a laptop? What's something like that doing here? Huh? Kyoko?"

Makoto looked in confusion as Kyoko grabbed his shoulder and gently pushed him aside, her brow furrowed as she got a closer look at the laptop.

"I remember seeing this…"

 _Oh, that's right. I saw it in the library before._ "But how did the laptop get from the library...to here?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied "I don't know. But it looks like someone recently used it. And...I guess it's in sleep mode, but...the power is definitely on."

As Makoto expressed confusion as to how it would be working, Sakura speculated that Chihiro fixed it, and Aoi got into an argument with Celeste and Yasuhiro over her misunderstanding of what she saw.

Makoto pinched the bridge of his nose in his frustration with their antics and interrupted "We're getting off topic. But listen, isn't this really strange? What's this laptop doing in here?"

"Maybe someone hid it here."

As Yasuhiro complained that whoever put it there didn't do a good job of hiding it, Kyoko shook her head.

"Whoever put it here I don't think they were trying to hide it from us."

Makoto looked at her in confusion and asked "Huh? What do you mean?"

Kyoko sighed at Makoto's denseness and asked in return "Haven't you noticed? There's one big difference between this room and all the others."

 _Difference...what difference? Wait a minute...there's no…_

"...surveillance camera. There's...no surveillance camera."

Kyoko smiled and nodded, thinking to herself _A little slow on the uptake, but not bad, Makoto._

"Precisely. There's no camera in here. Which means, this is the one spot where the mastermind is blind." After Hifumi asked for clarification, Kyoko continued "That's correct, Hifumi. And what Hina saw wasn't the ordinary glow of a computer screen. It was...the figure of Chihiro, shining pale green." She turned to the laptop in question and said "I think it would be best if we investigated this laptop in a little more detail."

Makoto nodded, gingerly removing the laptop from within the locker and carrying it to one of the benches, sitting down with the computer on his lap.

Kyoko sat down next to him and advised "So first of all, we have to wake it up."

Makoto sat amazed as the laptop booted up after pressing some keys.

 _He really did it. Chihiro really did it._

Kyoko pointed to an icon and advised "There - the icon on the far left."

Makoto blushed, embarrassed at how distracted he had gotten, like a little kid with a new toy.

"It says...Alter Ego?" As Celeste began contemplating the meaning of Alter-Ego, Kyoko asked "Could you let me see it, Makoto?"

With that, she simultaneously yanked the laptop into her lap while sliding next to Makoto.

 _Geez Kyoko; what's the point in asking if you're just gonna rip it out of my hands?_

As she started clicking on the icon, an impression of Chihiro's face appeared in a green background, exclaiming "Master! You're here! You really came!"

As Yasuhiro screamed in fear that it was a ghost, Kyoko rolled her eyes and assured "Calm down. It's not a ghost."

As Aoi asked what it was, Kyoko answered "I'm sure if we just talk to it, we'll find out."

As Kyoko typed in the question "What are you?", the image replied that it was Chihiro Fujisaki.

Everyone stood in shock, astonished at how perfectly the program had imitated the now-deceased Ultimate Programmer.

 _I thought that name sounded familiar…_ "Alter Ego...I've heard about this kind of AI program, but I've never seen one for myself."

"AI program..." _I know that Chihiro spoke of an AI when he was alive one time, but he never went into detail…_

"It's how Chihiro earned his title of Ultimate Programmer. The AI lives in a computer, and by repeating different tasks, it gains knowledge and grows bit by bit. Apparently Chihiro used a support vector machine and reinforcement learning to develop it. Eventually, he came up with a breakthrough in artificial intelligence design."

 _Okay, now you lost me…_ "Support vector machine…? Reinforcement learning?"

 _I suppose I expected as much; it's not exactly standard vocabulary outside of certain circles…_ Kyoko sighed and explained "To put it simply, it's a learning method for computers. But if this AI continues to grow, it will become more than just a piece of software to help people. Some say that an AI like this might someday replace people."

As Celeste remarked how it made sense that the program was named Alter-Ego, Kyoko continued "A second, perfect personality that can never forget or grow old. That's what Chihiro created…That's...Alter Ego."

Makoto stood there, amazed at Kyoko's comprehension and asked "Kyoko...how do you know so much about this..."

 _How...how do I know this? Why...why can't I..._

Kyoko merely turned her head out of view, though Makoto didn't miss the look of conflict in her eyes, as though she was struggling to find an answer.

 _Kyoko...what's wrong?_

Makoto's pondering was interrupted by Celeste's summary of events, and Hifumi and Yasuhiro's argument about Hifumi's newfound enamoration with Alter Ego.

Breaking up the tangent, Kyoko refocused "Anyway, let's talk to him a little more."

Makoto sat, amazed at the laser focus with how Kyoko worked to get information from Alter Ego.

 _I can barely keep up with what's going on, but Kyoko...Kyoko's amazing!_

Alter Ego eventually divulged how he was instructed by Chihiro to access the files on the laptop, but it was taking time to get past the security.

"So because of how long it would take, he designed Alter Ego to handle the workload."

Kyoko warned Alter Ego to be careful, and Alter Ego responded that he'd scream if someone suspicious came by. Celeste brought up the fallacy of this plan during night time, which caused everyone to shuffle in ponderance as to how to address the flaw.

Makoto perked up and asked "How about once it's nighttime, we each take turns guarding the dressing room?"

 _Well-intentioned, but equally flawed, Makoto…_

Kyoko shook her head, causing Makoto to feel disappointed as she countered "There's a good chance the mastermind would notice us all going in and out of the dressing room like that."

"Then...what can we do?"

 _Seems like no matter what we do, we're leaving some kind of back door open for the mastermind to take advantage of…_

Makoto's uncharacteristic lack of hope was transformed into horror and shock at Kyoko's plan.

"Once nighttime comes, I'll leave the door to my room open. Then there's no way I can miss Alter Ego yelling."

 _Kyoko! No! Absolutely not! Out of the question! That puts you at risk! I don't want to lose any more friends!_

When Yasuhiro brought up the flaw in her plan, in a more calm fashion than Makoto's frantic internal worries, Kyoko acknowledged "There's a chance I may become a victim myself, I know. But I'm not as weak as you may think. I wouldn't go down without a fight, I assure you."

Makoto couldn't help but be thrown off guard by the undeniable strength in her voice. As much as he wanted to argue about how foolish this plan seemed, he was forced into silence by her resolve.

 _It's different from during the trials. That's a strategic confidence, like a chess master stepping into her final round. This however, it's like she's being dropped on a battlefield and is steeling herself. Kyoko…_

Alter Ego interrupted and asked where Chihiro was, and after only a moment's hesitation, told Alter Ego of Chihiro's death. Makoto felt a spring of concern for Kyoko and the choice she had to make.

 _To have to tell someone, even a computer program, that someone close to them is dead...nobody should have to make that decision. Kyoko...you wouldn't have to make that choice at all if it wasn't for Monokuma's games!_

Makoto clenched his fist in anger as his thoughts turned to the austere bear that was responsible for so many deaths already. He was brought out of his silent seething when he felt Kyoko move one hand from the laptop to his right shoulder.

 _Kyoko…_

The girl sighed and said "Anyway, that's enough for today. If we linger here too long, the mastermind will start to suspect something."

After typing a farewell to Alter Ego, she closed the laptop and handed it over to Makoto, who placed it back in the locker and moved the door so that it was only slightly ajar. Yasuhiro suggested that they move the laptop to somewhere with online access, but Hifumi shot it down by reminding him that the mastermind would find out about it.

"This is no time for taking needless risks. For now, I'll monitor the progress of the file analysis. I'm confident we'll uncover some kind of clue once it's finished."

 _Needless risks? What about leaving yourself wide open while you're asleep?_

While Makoto was ranting to himself about Kyoko's gambit, he noticed that everyone was almost out of the bathhouse.

"Hey guys; wait for me!"

XXX

Makoto walked out in the middle of Celeste explaining to Monokuma how the girls won the right to take a bath tonight.

 _What the heck is she talking about?_

Makoto's question went unanswered, as Celeste, Sakura, Kyoko, and Aoi filed back into the bathhouse. Confused, Makoto suggested that they all go back to the dining hall, until Monokuma made the outrageous suggestion that the three boys take a peak.

"Huh?"

Hifumi seemed ecstatic at the idea, but Yasuhiro and Makoto were somewhat less so at the idea of peeking at their female classmates while bathing.

"An opportunity like this doesn't come along very often...It's the ideal setting of a man's fantasy!"

Makoto felt at war with himself; his rational brain reminded him of the lessons his mother and father taught him since he could talk, about how it was incredibly rude to peek at a woman in private. However, his emotions wandered to Kyoko, the girl who he found more interesting by the day, and his desire to see her in that state easily overpowered his rational respect for boundaries.

Blushing, he exclaimed "Okay. Let's go!"

 _Kyoko's gonna kill me for this, I just know it!_

XXX

"Huh?"

Kyoko turned in the direction of the door, which appeared to be closed, and wrapped her towel tighter around her torso. Other than her gloves, the towel was the only thing covering her womanly curves.

Aoi turned to her and asked "Hey Kyoko, what's the matter? We're here to have fun, so just relax and enjoy yourself. Who knows when we'll be able to have another bath together like this?"

 _I could have sworn it opened a crack...Was that green I saw through the doorway…_

Blushing for a moment, Kyoko smiled and said "You're right. Perhaps it is best to relax, if only for a moment."

With that, she sauntered over and relaxed her grip on her towel, sitting down next to Aoi as she contemplated what she saw.

XXX

Makoto, Yasuhiro, and Hifumi arrived back in the dining hall, panting as though they had just run a marathon. Makoto's entire face was as red as a tomato, overcome by the heavenly sight he just witnessed.

 _Those curves, those legs, her dripping, lavender hair. I thought she was pretty, but Kyoko's beautiful!_

"Yo dude, better wipe that dopey in love expression off your face, or Ogre and the others will know for sure about what we did."

The thought of Kyoko glaring at him with a disappointed look on her face made Makoto blanch, and after smacking his head into his palms, he looked at Yasuhiro with a normal expression.

It was at that moment that the girls walked back in, dressed and looking happily refreshed, making Makoto sigh in relief at narrowly avoiding being caught.

Celeste and Aoi spoke of how pleasant it was to be able to relax in their bath, with Kyoko turning to Makoto with a tint of red in her cheeks and concurring "Indeed."

Their bliss didn't last long, for Monokuma popped out of nowhere, to nobody's surprise.

"After seeing how happy we were, an evil little monster like you would never let that last for long."

Monokuma rattled on about how everyone was mean to him, then revealed that he had presents for everyone.

"...Presents?" _Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to be on my christmas list?_

Monokuma, now having everyone's attention, told everyone to come to the gymnasium, then disappeared again.

As Hifumi fretted over what Monokuma planning this time, Kyoko speculated "He's probably going to repeat the same thing again. Providing us with a motive to get things moving."

 _Again? I don't want to have to do this again. Can't we just...not go and head straight for bed?_

Kyoko laid her hand on Makoto's shoulder and answered everyone "It's okay. We have Alter Ego. I'm sure he'll find something that'll help us. So for now...we have to just endure it, come what may."

Everyone mumbed in reluctant agreement and started to file toward the gym, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone.

"...When is this all going to end?"

Kyoko looked at Makoto in sympathy, his dejected expression concerning her. She squeezed his shoulder in comfort, causing him to look at her.

"I don't have an answer for that. But remember, we have some measure of hope this time. Just try to endure it for now, and we'll find a way out." _I promise._

She wanted to say that, but knew that with someone as unpredictable as Monokuma in charge, nothing was certain. Nevertheless, it was enough to appease Makoto, who nodded and walked to the gymnasium, Kyoko following closely behind him.

XXX

When they at last arrived, Byakuya was waiting and proceeded to scold them for being late. Toko had also reverted to her normal personality, revealing that the two switched when she sneezed or lost consciousness.

Sakura noted that everyone was accounted for, prompting Kyoko to finish "Which means…"

It wasn't long before Monokuma appeared on top of the podium and with usual fanfare, presented his next motive; $10,000,000 to the graduating student.

 _Money? Really? First our loved ones, then our treasured secrets, now you choose money to motivate us?_

"When it comes to motives, money certainly is the gold standard, so to speak. Whether it's in a mystery novel, or the real world..." Kyoko mused.

 _Kyoko, this isn't really the time to be admiring him…_

Thankfully, everyone verbally refused Monokuma's motive. Even Byakuya, who had been finding Monokuma's game entertaining, rejected the motive.

"...It's not nearly enough."

 _...Well, I guess to someone of Byakuya's wealth, $10,000,000 would be chump change._

After spouting a speech about living a moral communal life, Monokuma vanished, only to be followed by the nighttime announcement.

As everyone started heading to bed, Kyoko reminded "Before we separate, let me remind you...Starting tonight, I'll be leaving my room door open to make sure nothing happens to Alter Ego."

 _You don't need to remind me. I still say this is a bad idea…_

"But just because my door is open, don't assume that will make me an easy target. Or the predator may suddenly find itself the prey."

 _There's that inner strength again. Guess I just have to trust her…_

XXX

Makoto lay on his bed, unable to get to sleep, anxiously tossing and turning. Despite Kyoko's words of confidence, he still worried.

"Damn it Kyoko, why do you have to insist on doing this by yourself? Why couldn't you have someone else stay up with you? Wait a minute, that's it!"

Inspired to act, Makoto got up and unlocked his door, pushing it open as far as it would go.

"Great; now if anyone tries to hurt Kyoko, I'll hear it and can get help!"

Satisfied, he went back to his bed, and his eyes began to droop. Without his anxiety and worries to keep him up, Makoto fell into an ironically deep sleep.

XXX

Kyoko sat on the bed, keeping her mind occupied by rewinding all the events at Hope's Peak in her head, hoping to come up with a clue to the mysteries of the institution.

 _There's just so much we still don't know. Hopefully Alter Ego will be able to tell us something soon._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very loud snoring sound, leaving Kyoko confused.

"Huh? I thought our rooms were supposed to be soundproof. And nobody would be foolish enough to break the rule about sleeping outside of the dorms, so where's that snoring coming from?"

Kyoko decided to step outside and investigate, too curious to just leave it alone. She looked to her right and saw a door wide open. She pushed it back a little and saw Makoto's nameplate on it.

 _Makoto? But why is his door open?_ _Is that his snoring?_

Kyoko stepped inside to investigate further, and saw Makoto spread out on the bed, conked out. Despite how obnoxiously loud his snoring was, Kyoko couldn't help but smile at the sight.

 _He looks kind of...cute…_

A light pink tinting her cheeks, Kyoko shook her head to clear the the thought out of her head as she watched Makoto's sleeping form.

 _But wait, why was his door open in the first place? He could easily turn out to be the next victim, being so careless like that…_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Makoto shifted, turning on his side and mumbling.

"Kyoko...with my door open...the mastermind can't get her. She'll be safe...I'll...protect her."

Kyoko felt touched, putting her hand over her heart in surprise as Makoto inadvertently revealed why his door was open.

 _He...he left his door open on purpose? To protect me?_ Kyoko shook her head in amusement as she thought _Makoto you silly boy; I can take care of myself._

She walked up to him and gently ran her hand through his messy brown mop, making Makoto smile as he snored.

 _You've certainly come a long way from the scared little boy who hung at my waist in fear._

Shaking her head, Kyoko removed her hand from Makoto and walked out the door, gently closing it on her way out.

 _There; you sought to protect me, so I'll return the favor. I won't put you at risk unnecessarily._

Smiling, to herself, Kyoko was brought out of her thoughts as she saw a large shadow moving towards the bathhouse. Her brow furrowed in concern, Kyoko left to follow and investigate.

XXX

Makoto rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawning and getting off of the bed.

"Boy, I sure slept well!" _Wait a minute? Slept well?_

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized what he just said.

 _Crap, I was supposed to be staying up to back up Kyoko. Did I seriously fall asleep?_

Makoto stood up and walked up to his door, and blanched at a startling detail.

 _Oh no; I could have sworn I opened it last night. Someone must have closed it while I was conked out! What if something happened to Kyoko while I was sleeping?_

Panicking, Makoto slammed the door open and raced to the dining hall.

 _Please be okay, please be okay!_

XXX

Makoto sat next to Kyoko as they ate breakfast, blushing in embarrassment at how worked up he had gotten over what was apparently nothing. Celeste had asked if there were any problems the other night, and Kyoko shook her head to Makoto's relief.

"Yeah, I didn't have any problems. I went and checked on the laptop a little while ago, and there weren't any problems there, either. But…"

 _But...what happened? Did something happen?_

"It's related to this case, so I suppose I should be blunt. I have to make a new rule. Using Alter Ego without permission is prohibited. Someone going in and out of the dressing room would draw unwanted attention from the mastermind."

 _A new rule?_

"Why do we need to make a rule about it?"

Kyoko turned to Hifumi, gave one of her knowing smiles, and replied "That's a good question. Do you have any thoughts on that, Hifumi?"

Hifumi started sweating and to everyone's confusion, started yelling at everyone to be careful and hurry up and eat.

 _Hifumi, what did you do?_

Makoto sighed and went back to eating his breakfast, leaving the question unanswered as he looked back to Kyoko with a gleam of appreciation in his eye.

 _I'm just glad you're okay._

XXX

Everyone had left the dining hall, so it was just Makoto and Kyoko remaining. Makoto got up, about to walk back to his room when Kyoko's words stopped him.

"I have to put all my energy into watching out for myself. I don't have time to worry about anyone else."

 _Huh? She said that once before, but why is she saying that now?_

Seeing that Makoto was still confused as to what she was implying, Kyoko spelled it out for him.

"You had me worried last night, with that stunt you pulled last night by leaving your front door wide open like that."

"You...you saw that?" Realization dawned on him as he exclaimed "You shut my door last night, didn't you?"

Kyoko nodded and elaborated "I could hear you snoring after you fell asleep last night and decided to investigate. I found you conked out on your bed and shut your door on my way out."

Makoto blushed and looked down, ashamed that she had to go protect him when he had been trying to protect her.

"Kyoko...Kyoko, I'm sorry. If I hadn't fallen asleep and actually stayed awake, you wouldn't have had to worry about me like that."

 _So he chooses to apologize for falling asleep, rather than leaving himself open..._

Kyoko sighed and scolded "Makoto, what you did was extremely dangerous. Anyone could have waltzed in and had their way with you in the middle of the night. I told you, I can watch out for myself. I'm not defenseless, Makoto."

"I know that, Kyoko. But even still..." Makoto clenched his fists in frustration as he continued "Kyoko...we've lost too many friends already! I can't lose you too; that's why I felt I had to watch out for you. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing while one of my classmates was putting herself at risk. I couldn't sleep, I was so worried!"

Kyoko found herself touched by Makoto's devotion. Looking aside, she diverted the conversation before things got too emotional for her.

"You mean like how you had to watch out for me when you took a peek last night?"

Makoto blanched, not needing ESP to figure out what Kyoko was referring to.

 _I knew she'd find out. She's gonna kill me, all because I couldn't resist peeking. I'm so weak…_

To his surprise, Kyoko giggled, making the boy's jaw drop in shock.

 _She...she's not mad? What the heck? I peeked on her while she was BATHING and she's not chewing me out?_

"You're so easy to tease, you know that?" Before Makoto could say anymore, Kyoko continued "I'm not mad, Makoto. I appreciate the concern you showed last night, but you must understand, I do my best work on my own. Having someone else to watch out for, it splits my concentration. And with all my attention focused on Alter Ego, I can't afford a 3rd person to worry about. So from now on, just keep your door closed and locked, and let me do my job. It'll make things much smoother, okay?"

"Kyoko..."

Before he could answer fully, Kyoko got up, saying "Well, I have things to do. I'll see you soon, Makoto."

As she left the dining hall, Kyoko had a slight blush on her face as she remembered Makoto's words of devotion while he slept.

 _He couldn't sleep...because he was worried about me. Makoto...no, I can't let you get closer than you already have. You'll only get burned if you do._

XXX

"Where are you going?"

 _Oh great; the one time I don't want to run into Kyoko and she finds me in a heartbeat!_

Glancing at the still blanched-faced Ultimate Moral Compass, she advised "It's probably best if you don't drag him around with you too much, given his current condition."

Makoto had spent the past couple of hours in his room, trying to get his emotions under control after his discussion with Kyoko. All of a sudden, his doorbell rang and Makto had gotten up to answer it to find Kiyotaka, who begged him to let him see Alter Ego. Against his better judgment, Makoto cracked at Kiyotaka's despair-filled expression, and agreed. Except Kyoko had intercepted him, expecting an answer to her question.

 _Come on Makoto; Kyoko's gonna catch any lie you can think of. Just ask her permission; she'll understand. Whatever you do, don't lie!_

"But I was getting kinda hungry. I thought we could head to the dining hall or warehouse or something..."

 _You're up to something…_

"Well then, I guess that's okay."

 _Wait, she actually bought it? Is this a dream?_

Makoto watched as she walked away, shocked that she had bought his bald-faced lie.

Sighing, Makoto yanked Kiyotaka by the wrist as he walked away, muttering "Well, no need to look a gift horse in the mouth. Let's go before she really suspects something..."

XXX

"What do you think you're doing?"

Makoto froze in place as Kyoko blocked his exit. Makoto began sweat, his worst fears in this scenario playing out before his very eyes.

"K-Kyoko! Oh, um...no, see...this is just -"

"Just you disregarding the rule I set less than 12 hours ago and taking Kiyotaka to see Alter Ego without my permission."

"I...I can explain -"

Kyoko glared at him with disappointment, making Makoto feel meek before she lectured "Don't go around doing whatever you feel like. It causes problems. And not just for me. For everyone."

"It...it's not like..."

At Kyoko's glare, Makoto silenced, knowing that no explanation he gave, no matter how truthful, was going to get him back on Kyoko's good side today.

"S...Sorry. I'm really sorry, Kyoko."

Kyoko's glare softened marginally as Makoto hung his head in shame, the boy awaiting whatever punishment she deemed fit.

"If you're really sorry, you'll get out of here." She hardened her glare and ground her teeth as she finished "Now."

"O-Okay..."

Makoto brushed past her, his head hung to hide the tears in his eyes from her. He walked briskly to his room, then slammed the door and locked it before sinking to the floor. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he buried his head in his knees and cried.

"Great work, Makoto. I let Kyoko down, made her worry, then broke the rule she set just because I wanted Kiyotaka to feel better. Now she probably hates me; I wouldn't blame her, with these last couple of stunts I pulled."

Makoto cried himself to sleep, ashamed of himself and wishing that he could just vanish and avoid Kyoko's disappointment and anger.

XXX

"Sh-She's trying to kill me!"

 _What's going on?_

Yasuhiro had all but dragged Makoto to the bathhouse under the pretense of taking a bath, only to be immediately used for cover by Hifumi, who was being glared at by Kyoko. Gulping, Makoto averted his eyes, trying to avoid being in the path of Kyoko's glare.

Sighing, Kyoko assured "I never said I was going to kill him. I simply asked him a question. I'd like to know why he made the same mistake twice."

Makoto struggled to voice his confusion, still somewhat emotional after being chewed out by Kyoko the other day.

"The same mistake…? What did he do…?" _Don't tell me..._

Kyoko confirmed "He snuck into the dressing room in the middle of the night and accessed Alter Ego without permission. And when I caught him last night...he was hugging the laptop and breathing strangely."

 _Hugging the laptop? Ok, I don't know which is creepier; Kiyotaka's Super-Saiyan transformation, or Hifumi's molestation of a laptop!_

Kyoko looked in Hifumi and Makoto's direction, making both of them want to be anywhere but there as she lectured like a schoolteacher "I thought I made myself clear yesterday, but since being subtle didn't work...I suppose I have to clarify myself further."

Hifumi begged Kyoko not to kill him, and Kyoko replied "I'm not going to kill you - merely instruct you."

Makoto meekly raised his voice as he stuttered "Kyo...Kyoko? What's going to happen now?"

 _Why's he so afraid? He's not the one I'm lecturing right now…_

Kyoko explained to the frightened boy "I just want him to explain himself."

Nodding, Makoto stepped away from Hifumi and asked "Um, Hifumi...could you tell me what happened?"

"W-Well, I just...I was just talking!"

"Which was prohibited, was it not?"

Hifumi proceeded to disclose his infatuation with Alter Ego, shocking everyone and causing Makoto to pity him.

 _So he had no friends? I feel sorry for him…_

At that moment, Kiyotaka burst through the entryway, declaring himself Kiyondo, forcing Makoto to explain what happened the other day when Kyoko caught him.

 _So that's what happened…_

Kyoko averted her gaze, feeling a touch of guilt for her harshness with Makoto the other day. Her guilt however turned to irritation at Kiyotaka and Hifumi's verbal brawl over who Alter Ego belonged to.

 _Children...I'm dealing with children…_

"Knock it off, both of you. This doesn't belong to any one person. Chihiro left him to all of us. We can use him to finally gain access to vital clues." Backed up by Sakura's muscle, Kyoko warned "Until Alter Ego has finished his work, don't do anything weird. Have I made myself clear?"

Kiyotaka, Hifumi, and Makoto mumbled their agreement.

Satisfied, Kyoko answered "Okay then. Let's get out of here. We can't afford to linger too long." When Sakura questioned the wisdom of letting Kiyotaka and Hifumi off with a warning, Kyoko replied "Yes. I have a plan. It'll be fine…"

Everyone filed out, going back to their rooms and going about their day.

XXX

They had just gotten out of the bathhouse when Makoto noticed something peculiar; Kyoko was following him. Every time he looked over his shoulder, Makoto saw the lavender haired girl behind him.

 _Great. She probably wants to chew me out some more for going against the rule like she did with Hifumi and Kiyotaka. Alright, let's get this over with…_

"What's the matter? Are you keeping an eye on me?"

Her question caught him off guard; out of her mouth wasn't a lecture or an insult like he felt he deserved, but instead a question.

 _...What's she talking about?_

He turned around and saw that she was right in front of his face, analyzing him. Suddenly, she smiled, making Makoto even more nervous.

"You don't need to be so afraid, Makoto. Don't worry. I'm not going to kill anyone."

 _I'm kind of surprised you haven't killed me by now, after everything I've done…_ Makoto thought dryly.

Kyoko saw the self-depreciation on Makoto's face, making her furrow her brow in worry.

"Listen, Makoto...I feel I may have been too harsh on you the other day."

Makoto looked at Kyoko in shock, thinking _What the? I'm the one who messed up, and she thinks she was too harsh?_

"Looking back, you were trying to explain why you were breaking the rule I set to begin with. If I had actually listened to what you had to say, instead of chewing you out, maybe we could have come to an understanding. You were concerned about Kiyotaka, and when he came to your door pleading with you, you saw an opportunity to help him regain the happiness he lost. If he hadn't come to you and asked for your help, you wouldn't have broken my rule to begin with."

"Kyoko..."

She turned to Makoto and hardened her glare while she continued "I'm still miffed that you lied to me. You could have asked me for permission when we ran into each other. But..." Kyoko softened her stare as she finished "But I'm willing to forgive you."

"Th...Thank you, Kyoko. I'm sorry I tried to go around you like that and lied to you. I don't know what I was thinking."

Kyoko smiled, glad that things had been resolved between them.

"Now, if that's all, then I have things to attend to. See you later, Makoto."

XXX

It wasn't until dinner time that Makoto ran into Kyoko again. Makoto was glad that Kyoko forgave him for breaking her rule about Alter Ego, but there was still something else bothering him that left his conscience unsatisfied.

 _I still have to apologize for peeping on her a couple days ago. That was just bad judgment and I should be slapped for it._

Makoto waited until everyone else had left before making his move.

"Um...Kyoko? Wait a minute, I need to talk to you!"

Kyoko turned around just as she was about to exit the dining hall. Makoto had grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving and making her confused about Makoto's uncharacteristic forwardness.

"What's the matter? Why are you bouncing around like a little rabbit? Don't you have anything to do?"

Makoto took a deep breath and began his apology.

"Listen, about the other night, when I peeked on you while you and the other girls were bathing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even been tempted, it was inexcusable, and a complete invasion of your privacy. I don't blame you if you're mad at me..."

A long, drawn out pause followed, Kyoko silent as Makoto fidgeted in place.

"Kyoko? Please say something? Are you mad at me?"

"...Did you like what you saw?"

"HuhuhuHUH?!"

Makoto blushed as the memory of Kyoko's near-nude body flashed through his mind.

 _What kind of question is that?_

"Gotcha!"

 _Huh?_

Makoto watched in shock as Kyoko giggled into her glove, trying to figure out what was so funny.

"Your reaction was priceless, you're too easy to trick, Makoto."

"Wait, so you're...you're not mad? But then, why didn't you call me out on it at the time?"

"I'm not mad, Makoto. I can tell you're not usually a peeping Tom, so I don't have to worry about it being a regular thing. And as for why I didn't call you out on it, well I saw the door open a bit and your green eyes in the doorway, but I didn't have any other proof. I was only sure after I decided to test my assumption the other day; by then it was all water under the bridge, as far as I was concerned."

"So you...you forgive me, Kyoko?"

Kyoko sighed in amusement and clarified "Yes, I forgive you Makoto. Is there anything else you feel the need to apologize for, or is that the end of your alleged transgressions?"

"N...no, I don't have anything else that I can think of..." _She's really letting me off the hook?_

Kyoko smiled and said "Well in that case, I'm headed off to bed. Good night, Makoto. I'd better not hear your snoring tonight."

She winked, making Makoto blush as she walked out of the dining hall. Makoto smiled as he reflected how he went from guilty to forgiven all in one day.

XXX

"Who set all this up? And why did they choose us? There are so many mysteries…"

Makoto looked up from his breakfast plate and saw Kyoko walking in and grabbing a plate form the stack on the counter. She grabbed her breakfast, then walked over to the table and sat across from Makoto.

"Oh, hey Kyoko. What were you talking about just now?"

Kyoko, realizing she had been mumbling out loud, assured "It's nothing, just talking to myself again."

Makoto nodded in acceptance, and the two went back to eating their breakfast. As they finished, Kyoko brought up "I saw Byakuya and Jack running out the door as I came in. Care to explain what that was all about?"

Makoto nodded and explained "Byakuya came barging into the dining hall earlier and demanded we tell him about a story that nobody bothered to tell him yet."

Kyoko then pulled a piece of paper and pen from her pocket and started scribbling, then passing both to Makoto.

"I assume you mean about Alter Ego?"

Comprehension crossing his face, Makoto gingerly grabbed the sheet of paper, scribbled on it, and passed it back.

"Yeah."

And so the note-passing game went back and forth between the two.

"What did you tell him?"

"We didn't tell him anything. Should we have told him something?"

"It's good that you didn't risk it in front of the security cameras. I'll fill him in before nighttime tonight so we're all on the same page myself."

Figuring that it was now okay to talk, Makoto coughed and continued "He also asked about Kiyotaka's strange personality. Celeste gave a rather crude conclusion and after proclaiming it was interesting, left with Jack on his heels."

Kyoko nodded and went back to her breakfast. Once she was finished, she got up and disposed of her plate.

"Well, I'm afraid I have more investigations to conduct, so I'll take my leave now. Goodbye, Makoto."

XXX

It was during one of these investigations that Makoto ran into Kyoko again, around midday. Kyoko had been investigating one of the classrooms on the 3rd floor when Makoto, having had nothing to do, stumbled inside and looked in surprise at the mysterious Ultimate.

"Oh, Kyoko!"

The girl in question turned to face him, surprised and not surprised to see him, and paused in her investigation.

"Makoto. Did you need something from me?"

Flustered and waving his hands, Makoto replied "Oh, no, no. I was just wandering around and stumbled in here."

"I see. Well, I was just conducting an investigation during my free time."

"Investigation? Into what? Do you need any help?"

 _My, he's sure eager. It's better that he not get involved though; the less he gets involved, the safer we'll both be._

"I've pretty much finished up in here, so investigating this room any further would be a waste of time. Besides, I'm just about to head downstairs and take a bath, so if it's not too much trouble I'll take my leave."

Makoto blushed until he followed Kyoko's gaze to find her looking at the nearby security camera.

 _Oh!_ "Oh...okay. Guess I'll see you later, Kyoko."

As Makoto left the classroom, Kyoko felt a faint blush dust her face; as much as it was a ruse, she was still affected by the thought of what happened during the previous ruse. Smiling, she left the classroom and headed downstairs to the bathhouse.

XXX

Makoto stumbled into the bathhouse, being dragged by the arm by Yasuhiro. Makoto looked around and saw that everyone, even Byakuya, had gathered in the locker room. Sakura openly wondered why Kyoko had asked everyone to come, and Yasuhiro speculated that it had something to do with Alter Ego. Aoi cheered, only for her hopes to come crashing down at Kyoko's next sentence.

"It's gone."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock as he repeated "Gone?"

Kyoko nodded, explaining "I came here a little earlier to check up on things, and that's when I discovered...Alter Ego - the laptop - has disappeared…"

Everyone, save Byakuya and Toko, had shock plastered on their faces. Celeste wondered if the mastermind abducted Alter Ego, but Kyoko shook her head.

"I'd told Alter Ego to yell if anyone he didn't recognize appeared. If it was the mastermind, I'm sure he would have alerted us." As Aoi tried to raise the possibility that she just missed it, Kyoko countered "I was in the laundry room right next door all day. There's no way I wouldn't have heard it."

 _She must have been running back and forth between investigations…_ Makoto thought as he remembered the conversations he had with Kyoko earlier in the day.

Hifumi and Kiyotaka then started pointing fingers at each other, with Yasuhiro urging one of them to confess.

However, Kyoko eliminated that possibility, explaining "No. There's no way either one of them did it. I told Alter Ego to yell if either Taka or Hifumi came into the dressing room."

 _And probably me too, considering I broke her golden rule…_

As Kiyotaka's eye twitched at the revelation, Kyoko continued "It was a countermeasure against the clear danger that one of them might come for it."

As Celeste disclosed that she didn't hear anyone yell, Kyoko concluded "Exactly. Which means it wasn't them."

Everyone started wondering who stole Alter Ego, with Byakuya sharing his theory that one of them was a mole for the mastermind.

 _No...no way! We're friends! No way we would betray each other!_

That particular debate was ground to a halt as both Kiyotaka and Hifumi moaned about how they just wanted Alter Ego back. The mood then became more somber, as almost everyone started to empathize with the two eccentric Ultimates.

"I think Alter Ego is most likely still safe, for the moment at least."

As both Kiyotaka and Hifumi swore to save Alter Ego, everyone's attention was diverted to the nighttime announcement.

Celeste urged everyone to go to bed for the evening and pick up the search tomorrow. Hifumi and Kiyotaka protested, but were silenced by Kyoko's words of caution.

"Anything we do at night brings a higher chance of the mastermind noticing us. Celeste is right. We should begin our investigation tomorrow morning. What do you think, Makoto?"

Makoto nodded in agreement and turned to Kiyotaka and Hifumi urging "I know how you feel, but...It's best if, just for tonight...you can try and endure it."

The two grumbled, but otherwise didn't ocmpain further. Everyone started filing out of the bathhouse, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone.

Makoto was just about to leave, when he heard Kyoko call "Makoto, a word?"

Turning his head in curiosity, he walked back and asked "What is it, Kyoko?"

Her head turned, as if hesitant about her next course of action, then refocused ot glare at him, asking "Did you take Alter Ego? Answer honestly, Makoto."

Makoto stumbled back in shock; this was the last thing he expected Kyoko to ask him.

 _M...ME?_

Dumbfounded, he replied "Why would you think that? How could I have stolen Alter Ego?"

Stepping closer to him, Kyoko answered "Because out of the small number of people who broke my rule, you are the only person to whom I didn't program Alter Ego to scream if they came near. Which makes you the most obvious suspect. Now, I'm going to ask one more time; did you take Alter Ego?"

 _She...she didn't program Alter Ego to scream if I came by? Even after I broke her rule?_

Normally, Makoto would have been awestruck that she showed that degree of trust in him, but this wasn't a normal circumstance. Makoto did the only thing he could think of to convince Kyoko; he got on his knees and begged.

"I know...I know that I broke your rule, and you have every reason to not trust me after that. But I promise Kyoko, I NEVER broke it ever again. Please believe me, I'm begging you!"

Kyoko's eyes softened at seeing Makoto cry and beg for her to believe him. A rush of guilt entered her heart, making her regret even thinking of testing him like that.

"I didn't think you did. Still, I had to make sure. Stand up Makoto, you're not in any trouble."

Smiling in gratitude, Makoto stood up, briefly turning away to wipe the tears from his eyes with his wrist.

"So you...you believe me, right?"

Smiling in amusement, Kyoko replied "As I've said before, you're too foolishly open to deceive me like that."

Makoto felt strangely comforted by what had previously been a constructive insult.

"Alright, Makoto. Go to bed; we'll pick this up in the morning, okay?"

Nodding Makoto ran out the door, leaving Kyoko to watch him until he had disappeared.

XXX

Makoto walked into the dining hall to be greeted by Aoi, Sakura, and Kyoko.

 _Just the four of us? I figured at least Hifumi and Kiyotaka would get here before me, so what happened to them?_

Makoto looked at Kyoko, who had a look of concern and confusion on her face.

 _Kyoko, what are you thinking?_

The four of them decided to wait for the others a little longer, fidgeting more with each mknute that passed by. At 8:00, Aoi expressed expressed the confusion everyone else had been feeling, and Kyoko's eyes widened in realization.

"Something must have happened."

"Huh?" _Don't tell me…_

"I was careless. I was too distracted by Alter Ego...But Monokuma gave us a motive. There was no way something wouldn't happen eventually."

Makoto's face blanched at Kyoko's implication, struggling to reconcile his faith in his friends with the awful reality that Kyoko was probably right.

Taking control, Kyoko declared "We need to go look for the people who never showed up."

Without another word, everyone nodded and left the dining hall. Before they even left the entryway, Kyoko continued "We can cover more ground if we split up. Sakura, you go check the dorms. Make sure to check all of our rooms. Makoto, you go check the 1st floor of the school. Meanwhile, I'll check the 2nd floor."

Everyone nodded, their assignments clear, a sense of urgency coursing through their veins.

"Don't take any risks. If anything happens, call for help right away."

Aoi and Sakura left in a heartbeat, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone. As she was about to turn away, Makoto called out to her.

"Kyoko!"

"Hm?"

Kyoko turned back to him, seeing an intense pleading in his eyes as he spoke his next words.

"The same applies to you. Don't take any unnecessary risks. I don't want to lose any more friends. So please, be careful, Kyoko."

Her heart warming at Makoto's concern, Kyoko steeled her expression, nodding before dashing to the stairwell.

 _I hope she'll be okay. Please don't let anything happen to her._

XXX

Makoto rushed into the rec room with Sakura and Aoi following close behind to find a bruised Celeste regaining consciousness. Celeste explained how she was attacked and showed everyone a picture she took of her attacker, a picture that made everyone stare with shock.

 _What the heck is that? Is that...a giant robot carrying Hifumi? I doubt Hifumi could have written this scenario in one of his fanfics!_

When pressed for where the mysterious assailant left, Celeste said that he headed left when leaving the rec room.

"If that's true, they were headed toward the stairs leading down to the 2nd floor!"

 _2nd floor...don't tell me…_

"The 2nd floor...That's where Kyoko was supposed to be..."

"Why isn't Kyoko here?"

Aoi cringed from Makoto's volume and explained that she didn't have time to get her.

 _But Sakura was all the way in the dorms! Why didn't you pick her up on the way?_

"This is bad. If the strange man did head to the 2nd floor, Kyoko might run into him..."

Makoto blanched with fear; his body shook at the thought of Kyoko being attacked.

"Makoto?"

"We have to hurry. Kyoko's in danger!"

Makoto dashed out of the rec room and to the stairs at lightning speed, ignoring the cries behind him of "Makoto, wait up!"

 _Please be okay, please be okay!_

XXX

Whilst they didn't find Kyoko or the mystery assailant, they did find a wounded Hifumi and brought him down to the nurse's office. Hifumi dubbed the mystery assailant "Robo Justice" and everyone started to speculate who the attacker might be. As the discussion went on, Byakuya asked where Kyoko was. Makoto grew even more worried as Aoi and Sakura wondered where she could have gone. Byakuya smiled that smirk that made his skin crawl as the next sentence from Byakuya shocked Makoto to his core.

"She might be exactly as I suspected..."

 _Kyoko? The assailant? Now hold on a minute!_ "Kyoko was with us in the dining hall when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked."

Byakuya shook his head at Makoto's emotional defense of Kyoko's innocence.

 _Simple-minded plankton._

"I'm referring to what we talked about last night. Who the mastermind's spy might be..."

Makoto felt his blood run cold; the idea that Kyoko, the same Kyoko who had saved his life after Sayaka's death, was a mole for the mastermind was unfathomable to him.

 _Kyoko...a traitor? No, she wouldn't! Kyoko may have her secrets, but she's still our friend!_ "Th...that's not possible!"

As Makoto and Byakuya continued to go back and forth, Sakura took on the role of mediator that Kyoko would normally play and guided the group's focus back to finding Robo Justice.

As everyone save Hifumi left the nurse's office, Makoto thought _Once we find Robo Justice, that'll ensure Kyoko doesn't become another victim._

XXX

 _This can't be happening...it can't be happening!_

In the span of a number of minutes, both Hifumi and Kiyotaka wound up dead, their heads bashed in with Justice Hammers. To make things even worse, both of their corpses had somehow vanished from their respective crime scenes. Even Byakuya was left speechless and stumped. As everyone tried to make sense of what had actually happened, Celeste recounted the events of the day, and Byakuya proposed that either Kyoko or Yasuhiro could have been the culprit, since neither of them were in the group when the flurry of events occurred.

Makoto's worry for Kyoko swiftly turned into ire towards the Ultimate Affluent Progeny for his accusations towards Kyoko.

"H-Hold on a second! Kyoko has an alibi for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked! There's no question that she was in the dining hall with us!"

Byakuya shook his head dismissively and replied "Hmph. You seem very adamant about defending her. Perhaps you are...in love?"

Makoto turned beet red at Byakuya's musing.

"Th-That's not it at all!" _I'm not in love with Kyoko...am I?_

To Makoto's relief, Byakuya relented and accepted Kyoko's alibi. With Yasuhiro seemingly deduced as the culprit, Byakuya, and Monokuma after bursting in without warning, assured everyone present that no more murders would occur that day, since two had already occurred. With that settled, everyone left to try to find Yasuhiro, as well as Hifumi and Kiyotaka's missing corpses. But as Makoto left, Byakuya's words rang in Makoto's ears.

 _Perhaps you are...in love?_

 _I don't love Kyoko. Do I? Am I...am I in love...with Kyoko?_

XXX

 _She's okay! She's alive!_

Makoto rushed out of Yasuhiro's room as soon as Aoi had told him that Kyoko was waiting by the pool on the 2nd floor. His feet couldn't have carried him fast enough; he even outpaced the athletic Aoi.

"Makoto, wait up! What's gotten into you?"

At last they reached the pool, and Makoto spotted the mysterious Ultimate on the other side near a single locker. Makoto beamed, the brightest smile stretching across his face that he had ever smiled. Aoi panted, amazed that Makoto had run so fast. Looking at his expression, Aoi frowned in worry, waving a hand across his face.

"Makoto? Earth to Makoto?"

"Huh?"

Makoto blinked, coming back to reality and noticing Aoi's concerned look.

"Oh, Aoi. Let's go; we still need to ask Yasuhiro where he was this morning."

Aoi followed him, exhausted with trying to keep up with Makoto's antics.

Makoto jogged to the other side of the pool, waving his hand and calling "Kyoko! And - "

Makoto looked at the Robo Justice suit and after hearing Yasuhiro's cries for help, frowned and finished "Hiro."

"I found Hiro. He was jammed into the pool room locker. It looked like he was fast asleep, so I kicked him and woke him up."

 _You kicked him? Effective, but a little crude, don't you think Kyoko?_

Yasuhiro complained "You coulda been a little more gentle about it. Like, I dunno, caress my face or somethin'!"

Makoto felt a momentary flash of anger at Yasuhiro's whining, with Kyoko in agreement and disgust.

"...That's creepy."

Remembering his worry, Makoto asked "Anyway...Kyoko, where have you been all this time? You just disappeared all of a sudden, without a trace..."

"There was something I had to check up on."

 _Vague as ever, Kyoko._ "What do you mean?"

Kyoko waved her hand and replied "Never mind."

Normally, Makoto would have been used to Kyoko's secretive nature and let it slide. But this wasn't an ordinary situation. Makoto had been scared half to death that something had happened to her, and Byakuya had pointed to her as a potential suspect. This couldn't just be let go, and Makoto let his frustration known.

"I can't never mind…!"

Kyoko grit her teeth as she seethed impatiently "Never. Mind. More importantly…"

Makoto sighed, reminding himself that solving this case came first and he and Kyoko could talk about this later.

 _But I'm not letting this go! Byakuya suspects her of at minimum being a mole for the mastermind and I won't let her be found guilty of that!_

Kyoko turned to the Ultimate Clairvoyant, stating "First of all...Hiro, you need to explain to us why you're dressed like that."

Yasuhiro frantically explained how he was asleep and woke up inside the suit. Byakuya demanded he take the suit off, and Yasuhiro begged for help to get it off, insisting that he didn't make the suit.

Kyoko stepped behind Yasuhiro and noted "There's a clasp on the back that's keeping you from getting it off. It looks pretty sturdy. I don't think you can get it off on your own." Turning to everyone else, she said "We don't really have a choice. Let's help him…"

After some effort, the group freed Hiro from the Robo Justice costume. However, his relief was short-lived, for Celeste immediately suggested tying and gagging him, with Aoi in enthusiastic concurrence. Makoto flashed back to how everyone save Kyoko suspected him of Sayaka's murder, and wondered what would have happened if he was restrained like they were suggesting to do to Yasuhiro.

As Makoto was about to raise his voice in objection, Kyoko beat him to it, reminding "He may be a suspect, but he deserves fair treatment."

Makoto looked at Kyoko in thanks, hoping that Yasuhiro was innocent like he was. At Celeste and Aoi's insistence that he was the culprit, Yasuhiro insisted it wasn't him, and had Makoto and Aoi both wear the suit to prove his theory of an imposter, but to no avail. Yasuhiro's jaw dropped in shock at hearing of Hifumi and Kiyotaka's deaths, making Makoto doubt his guilt in the murders. His next declaration make Makoto worried, as he claimed to know who murdered the two Ultimates.

 _Yasuhiro, I doubt even Kyoko knows who did it yet. You'll only be digging our own graves here…_

 _I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but…_

Kyoko sighed and said "You may as well tell us, then."

Yasuhiro proudly declared that it had to be either Chihiro or Alter Ego, since the two victims were fighting over the computer before their untimely demise. Everyone save for Kyoko fell over in shock at Yasuhiro's sheer stupidity.

 _Seriously? Chihiro's dead and I can't imagine how a laptop could possibly kill a human being!_

"I see...That's unfortunate" Kyoko replied as she shook her head.

Yasuhiro's light bulb lit up and he went on to explain how he got a note to come to the rec room at 1:00, then fell asleep, hypothesizing that the culprit drugged him. Aoi brushed it off as rubbish, but Kyoko wasn't so quick to dismiss the claim.

"No, hold on. He could be onto something. The nurse's office did have chemicals that could do that…"

Yasuhiro tried to produce the note as proof, but found it was missing, leaving Aoi more suspicious of him. Yasuhiro begged everyone to believe him, but Celeste demanded proof. At Byakuya's insistence that the investigation be resumed, Yasuhiro dashed off faster than Makoto, and Aoi returned to guard duty with Sakura. As Makoto was about to leave as well, Kyoko called him back.

"Makoto, do you have a second?"

Makoto turned back, curious and asked "Huh?"

"I want you to help me with the investigation. It looks like I got a late start on this one, so I need to make up some ground."

 _Hey, this is my chance!_

Makoto nodded eagerly and answered "Sure, I don't mind helping. But can you promise me something? Later, when we have time...will you tell me why you disappeared?"

 _He's stubborn, I'll give him that much. Still, the less he knows about my investigations, the safer he'll be._

"No."

Makoto felt his heart break in two at how quickly and decisively Kyoko appeared to have rejected his request.

"Anyway, I need your help. You don't mind, do you?"

Makoto reigned in his emotions, telling himself _Maybe once this case is over, she'll be a little more open to telling me. For now, we have to focus on this trial, or it won't matter where she was._

"O-Okay."

Smiling and breathing an internal sigh of relief that the subject was dropped for the time being, Kyoko turned toward the exit and replied "Thanks. Now then, shall we…?"

As they walked out of the pool area, Kyoko explained "So, Makoto...first I'd like to examine the corpses."

"There's something you definitely don't think you're gonna hear when you wake up in the morning..." Makoto mumbled in shock over how easily she said that.

"Dead bodies don't lie, you know. They tell the truth far more easily than the living. Wouldn't you agree?"

Makoto continued to follow her, dumbfounded as to how to respond to that.

"Anyway, we have to hurry. Before the class trial begins again…"

Makoto nodded, replying "Y-Yeah, you're right..."

Kyoko stopped in her tracks and turned her head, politely ordering "Okay then, show me where the bodies are."

Makoto nodded, leading the way as Kyoko followed, his frustration and dread growing with every step he took.

 _Kyoko, why can't you trust me with the truth? And why does it hurt that you won't be honest with me?_

XXX

"Hifumi...and Taka…"

Makoto watched with concern as Kyoko went rigid in a rare moment of emotion before composing herself as she approached the corpses.

"Well then, let's get started."

 _Kyoko...are you okay?_

Makto watched as she felt around the corpses of their classmates for clues before standing up.

"The Monokuma File was right. They were killed using similar weapons."

The calm aura in which Kyoko conducted her work make Makoto feel calm, a positive contrast to the flurry of emotions running through him that morning. Though far from relaxed, he at least felt like he could think logically again.

"Makoto. I found something. You remember the wristwatch Taka always wore on his left hand?"

"He did?" _I guess that makes sense, seeing as how he yelled at me before for being tardy a couple of times…_

To his shock, Kyoko glared at him, exclaiming "Are you so oblivious to the people around you? Do you dislike other people that much?"

 _Huh? Where's that coming from?_ Makoto waved his hands in surrender and stammered "N-no, that's not it..."

Kyoko for her part wondered where that burst of anger had come from before dismissing it and explaining "Take a look...It's broken. You can see the hands aren't moving, right? It most likely broke when he had his encounter with his assailant. And if you notice, the hands are frozen at just past 6 o'clock."

Makoto's eyes widened in realization as he pieced together "So that would mean...the watch was broken sometime just after 6?"

Kyoko nodded, further explaining "But last night, Taka's watch definitely wasn't broken…So if it worked at 10 last night, it couldn't have been broken at 6 p.m."

"Meaning it must have happened at 6 this morning."

"And that's not all. Look at Taka's left hand. He appears to be gripping something…"

Kyoko directed his gaze to what looked like a sheet of paper in Kiyotaka's fist.

"Can you try and pry it out?"

 _Why me? Not that I'm opposed to it, but why me?_

"Rigor mortis has already set in. Boys are better suited to this kind of manual labor, right?"

 _That seems kind of sexist, Kyoko…_

Nevertheless, Makoto obliged, unearthing what appeared to be a torn corner of a piece of paper.

"Was that all he had in his hand?"

"Just a little scrap of paper. Doesn't seem like much of a clue, does it?"

"I wonder about that…Let's check Hifumi's body now. Perhaps he's left us a few clues of his own."

Makoto watched as Kyoko investigated Hifumi's corpse, stepping back a couple of steps to let her work.

After a minute she stood up, and Makoto asked "Did you find anything?"

Kyoko nodded, replying "I did. More than I expected, to be honest. Look at this…"

Kyoko opened her fist to reveal a ball of crumpled paper, explaining "Hifumi had it hidden on him. He'd stuffed it in his pants. So I can only assume he'd hidden it on purpose, you see?"

"His pants? You went trouser fishing?"

"It was just his pants. Not like his socks or something…"

 _The fact that you find looking through his socks more disgusting than his pants just baffles me, Kyoko…_

Dropping the wad of paper in Makoto's hand, Kyoko said "Anyway, let's take a look at the paper. Go ahead, Makoto. Open it up."

Makoto reluctantly searched for a corner to unfold, exclaiming "Ew, ew, eww!" _This better be important, Hifumi, or I'll never forgive you for this!_

Kyoko rolled her eyes, thinking _Oh for goodness sake Makoto, it's just a piece of paper._

Makoto was surprised to find a note, eerily identical to the one Yasuhiro described.

"That sounds...very familiar. Although...it's not exactly the same, is it?"

Makoto speculated that this note was telling Hifumi to meet at 6 a.m., but Kyoko shook her head.

"Hold on. Just because Hifumi had the note, doesn't mean it was meant for him."

 _Okay, I'm lost. How could it not be for Hifumi?_

"Part of it has been torn off, right? I think there's likely some meaning there."

"Umm...could you maybe explain it a little more?"

"Think carefully...Why would he have been clutching that scrap of paper so tightly?"

 _You mean Taka? That corner…_

"What if it wasn't just a scrap of paper when he was holding it? What if it was something more important? And how would something important like that become a mere scrap of paper? That's what you need to answer."

 _Okay, I feel like I'm getting warmer, but I'm still confused…_

"And while we're at it, I should tell you one other thing. The two victims this time definitely had their e-Handbooks on them. So the handbooks have nothing to do with how the murders were carried out. Not that there was any reason to think they were connected to the killings in the first place…"

 _Why would she bring that up now?_ "So you're saying I don't have to think about the handbooks this time, right?"

Kyoko shook her head, thinking _Think, Makoto. Why would I have brought it up if that were the case?_

"If you didn't have to think about them at all, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to mention it. All I said was that they weren't used to help carry out the murders. There may come a point, however, where a handbook may play a role."

As Makoto was left to ponder Kyoko's words, their thoughts were interrupted by the Class Trial announcement.

"It's unfortunate, but I suppose this is where our investigation comes to an end. You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself, and come to the proper conclusion."

 _Why do I feel left in the dark again…_ Shaking his head, Makoto replied "Yeah...you're right..."

Turning, Kyoko replied "Well, we'd better get going."

With that, Kyoko left with Makto at her heels, headed towards the first floor with dread.

XXX

Kyoko and Makoto arrived at the elevator room to find two Monokumas occupying the room along with the other survivors. Makoto screamed and jumped in Kyoko's arms, making the young Ultimate blush. At Monokuma's revelation that there was only one of him and taunting them to guess which one real, Kyoko sighed. Exasperated with Monokuma's antics, she dropped Makoto on his behind.

"Can we just get on the elevator already?"

As Aoi again started pointing the proverbial finger at Yasuhiro, Kyoko intervened.

"This isn't the place to talk about it. Save your accusations for when we get to the courtroom."

As the door to the elevator opened, Kyoko murmured "the story begins when we get down there" before stepping into the elevator, Makoto following closely behind.

XXX

Predictably, the trial opened up with Aoi and Celeste pointing the finger at Yasuhiro, bringing up the blueprints for the Robo Justice Suit that were found in his room. Irritated by the deja vu he was feeling, Makoto raised the point in the difference in handwriting styles between the blueprints and the note Yasuhiro sent him telling him to meet in the Dining Hall.

"When you compare it to the blueprints..."

"...there's no way you could think the same person made both of them" Kyoko finished.

After further debate, Makoto and Byakuya concluded that although Yasuhiro was the only one who could have been inside the suit, he couldn't have murdered either Hifumi or Kiyotaka. At Byakuya's urging, Makoto proposed that the corpses were moved using a dolly and a tarp, and that Hiro couldn't have possibly had the dexterity to utilize them while wearing the suit. Celeste insultingly raised the possibility that the dolly had been in the repository all along, but Makoto refuted, using the bloodstain in the equipment room to prove that the dolly had in fact been moved. Combined with his inability to take off the suit by himself, Yasuhiro seemed to be exonerated…

...Until Celeste brought up the picture she took of Robo Justice dragging away Hifumi, challenging everybody to explain that.

"It was Hiro, without a doubt!"

As Yasuhiro tried to protest, Kyoko shook her head.

"It's still far too early to reach that conclusion. Besides, there's no hurry to decide who did it. Before we rush to a verdict, shouldn't we explore every single possibility? Instead of seizing on one viewpoint, the truth is uncovered by analyzing things from every angle."

"Perhaps, but where do we go from here?" Sakura wondered.

"Let's review this series of unfortunate events from the beginning. Maybe we'll uncover something new…"

The others then recapped the series of events so far. Makoto looked at Kyoko, who had developed a thinking pose throughout the recap.

"I see...The whole thing sounds exceptionally complicated. It certainly seems to me that these are not a simple series of connected events."

Makoto was left confused as he asked "If that's true...then what?"

Kyoko clarified "Rather than a single series of events, I think we have to consider each murder a separate situation. And from there, we can uncover the contradictions surrounding all of them. Now then, let's get started, beginning with what happened to Taka…"

From there, the debate continued, with Kyoko kickstarting "So, regarding Taka's death...I wonder if he died before Hifumi...Or perhaps it was after?"

Aoi raised the assumption that the numbering of the Justice Hammers proved that Kiyotaka was killed after Hifumi. Makoto countered that the killer may have just used the hammer numbers to throw everyone else off course. Intrigued, Byakuya asked for evidence proving Makoto's theory.

 _Evidence that proves Kiyotaka was killed before Hifumi…Wait...What Kyoko showed me during the investigation...now I understand!_

"I've got it. Taka's wristwatch! See? Look. It broke with the hands pointing just past 6 o'clock."

"It must have gotten broken when he was attacked by the killer. Because as of last night…"

 _It was still working at just before 10!_

Kyoko smiled and said "So if it wasn't broken after 6 last night, then he must have been attacked around 6 this morning."

Sakura and Makoto deduced that this revelation meant that Kiyotaka was killed well before Hifumi, and before Celeste was attacked.

"That's right. Taka was killed before any of the other incidents took place. Now, if Taka was killed around 6, then everyone's alibis for his murder go out the window. Because when he was killed, we hadn't met up in the dining hall yet."

Sakura brought up the point that their alibis still held true for Hifumi's death, and the others postulated that only Yasuhiro or Kyoko could have moved the bodies.

Stumped, Makoto looked toward Kyoko and asked "Hmm...so what now, Kyoko?"

"For now, we can't get fixated on who did it, or we'll just keep going around in circles. So instead of who, I propose we start talking about how...In particular, I think we need to figure out how Hifumi's body got moved."

Makoto nodded, remarking how that was a mystery nobody had been able to figure out.

 _How did Hifumi's corpse move up two floors in the minute or two that Aoi and Celeste were in the bathroom?_

Yasuhiro yelled that it was impossible, to which Kyoko replied "Well, what if I told you there was a way to make the impossible possible?"

"What? How?"

Kyoko's response shocked everyone in the room; "If the dead body...were to move itself."

Everyone save for Byakuya couldn't believe what they were hearing. Byakuya raised the possibility that Hifumi was faking his death. Celeste reacted with disbelief, insisting it wasn't possible.

"And you know that how?" Kyoko challenged the Ultimate Gambler.

Celeste pointed out that Monokuma played the body discovery announcement to signify that Hifumi's corpse had been found, but Kyoko shook her head in skepticism.

"Are we really so sure about that? Maybe the announcement was intended to signal someone else's discovery?"

 _It was only made once, but wait...Kiyotaka's corpse was also found roughly around that time. What if it was made for Kiyotaka instead?_

Makoto raised that point, which Byakuya agreed to. Celeste countered that maybe Monokuma got lazy and rolled both into one. At request for input, Monokuma cryptically revealed that it was only broadcast when three or more people found a corpse for the first time. Yasuhiro whined that he was avoiding the question, but Byakuya said that was plenty of information. Catching on, Makoto brought up the fact that the second announcement played after rediscovering both corpses.

"When the two dead bodies were rediscovered, one of them was actually...being discovered for the first time!"

Celeste doubted that there was any proof that Hifumi was still alive prior to the second announcement.

 _This isn't like you, Celeste; you're not usually one to hold so tightly to your theories after this much contradiction…_ "Okay then, let's take another look at the events surrounding the discovery of his body. Then it should become clear whether he was really alive or not."

Celeste tried to raise the point that there was no noticeable change between how Hifumi was found in the nurse's office and how he was found in the repository.

 _No; that's wrong! There was a difference, and I can prove it!_

Makoto brought up how Hifumi's glasses were spotless in the repository, yet dirty in the nurse's office, as well as a blood-smeared Princess Piggles cloth. At Byakuya's disgust-filled exclamation that he wouldn't be caught dead with a cloth like that, and Genocide Jack's insistence that all she needed was a couple of regular tissues to clean her glasses, it was clear that only Hifumi could have cleaned his glasses with that cloth, since it would only benefit the owner to clean his own glasses.

"So let's assume that Hifumi was still alive in the nurse's office. He pretends to be dead, then when he's alone, he wipes his glasses clean so he can see...Then he stands up and walks out on his own two feet. And with that, the impossible task of moving his copious corpse...becomes possible, wouldn't you say?"

As Aoi wondered where all the blood in the nurse's office came from, Kyoko explained "The fridge in the nurse's office contains packs of blood for emergencies. He probably used one of those. And if Hifumi was still alive at that point, the disappearance of Taka's body is easily explained. It should be perfectly obvious who must have moved Taka's corpse…"

 _I got it!_ "It could only have been Hifumi" Makoto admitted.

Everyone deduced that once left alone, Hifumi took off to the equipment room and took Kiyotaka's body to the repository, locking the door from the inside so nobody would find him.

Kyoko summarized "He convinced us all he was dead, and when he saw his chance, he dragged Taka's body to the repository. So, Hifumi wasn't just another victim in this case - he was one of the assailants."

Sakura and Aoi expressed disbelief that Hifumi took part in a murder, to which Kyoko posed"If you're having trouble, would you like me to show you one more piece of evidence?"

"There's more?!"

"Oh, absolutely. The single biggest fact pointing to his involvement has yet to be revealed. You know what I'm talking about, right Makoto? The item he took off of Taka's lifeless body?"

 _The item...wait, the scrap, the note...they were the same thing. I got it!_ "You're talking about the note Hifumi had hidden away, aren't you?"

Makoto explained about the note that he and Kyoko found in Hifumi's pants, to which Yasuhiro exclaimed that it was like the note he received, but different. Makoto clarified that the killer used the note to draw out Kiyotaka and murder him.

"Hello! Over here! Objection! Objection!"

Everyone turned to Genocide Jack, surprised to hear her raise an objection.

"Huffy had the note, right? Then the person it was intended for...must have been Huffy!"

 _Huffy? Does she mean Hifumi?_

Kyoko shook her head and retorted "But remember what the note said. What time did it say to meet?"

"The note has nothing to do with Tick Tock!"

 _No, that's wrong!_

Makoto brought up that the note's meeting time and Kiyotaka's estimated time of death were identical. Combined with the location of the meeting place and of Kiyotaka's death being identical as well, Jack withdrew her objection. Makoto hypothesized that Hifumi stole it off of Kiyotaka's corpse, to which Byakuya demanded proof.

 _Proof that Hifumi stole the note from Kiyotaka...I got it!_

Makoto brought out the note in one hand, the torn corner in the other, and fit them together like a puzzle, his eyes lighting up, and Kyoko looking at him approvingly.

"I knew it! It fits perfectly with the note we found hidden on Hifumi!"

Kyoko further clarified "Hifumi had the note meant for Taka, while Taka's corpse still grasped a small piece of that note...There's only one way to explain it…"

Sakura deduced that Hifumi tore the note while trying to grab it from Kiyotaka's grip, with Byakuya continuing that Hifumi knew that the note was important.

"Exactly. Which proves that he was an accomplice in the murder."

Yasuhiro then proclaimed that Hifumi was still alive, making everyone shake their heads at his stupidity. Aoi started wondering who killed Hifumi, leaving Kyoko to lead everyone in the right direction.

"He was killed in the repository, so he must have been killed not long after transporting Taka's body."

Byakuya noted how during that time, nobody had an alibi, and in a rare moment of intelligence, Yasuhiro noted how since the Monokuma file said they were killed with similar weapons, the killer would have had to take the incredibly risky maneuver of stealing one of the Justice Hammers from one of the other rooms, killing Hifumi, and rushing it back to where it was. Makoto brought up the spotless hammer in the repository that had been scrubbed clean and hypothesized that the spotless hammer was the murder weapon.

Aoi hypothesized that the killer used that hammer to kill Hifumi once he had fulfilled his role, but Celeste was skeptical that Hifumi would have even had an accomplice to begin with, because of the graduation rule.

"But that really only applies if there's one murder, right? In this case however, there were two murders" Kyoko pointed out.

 _Could there really have been an accomplice?_

Makoto raised the point that having an accomplice for multiple murders was plausible, leaving Sakura confused.

"If there'd only been one murder, then yes, the idea of an accomplice isn't really worth considering. Naturally, if only one person can be saved per murder, an accomplice has no risk versus reward benefit."

"Risk versus reward...benefit?"

 _Honestly Makoto; it's pretty self explanatory!_

Nevertheless, Kyoko clarified "The payoff for working together - the reward that balances out the risk of taking part in the scheme. There's no point in being someone's accomplice if there's no benefit to you. However, if there were some potential mutual reward for the risk, then cooperation becomes possible."

Thinking along a similar line, Byakuya clarified "You're saying that two people could act as each other's accomplices to commit two separate murders."

Kyoko nodded, replying "I think that's what the true killer told Hifumi; they would each have an accomplice for their crime. And based on the case's events, Hifumi would have been the first one to act, murdering Taka. They made him carry out the first murder so he couldn't back out of helping them later on."

 _Why didn't I see it earlier? It makes perfect sense now!_ "By creating one seamless set of circumstances, they made it look like one person was behind it all!"

As Byakuya admired the cunning of the killer's plan to have Hifumi kill a student, then off Hifumi, Makoto admired Kyoko's cunning and deductive reasoning.

 _Kyoko must have noticed this fact from the very beginning! Kyoko really is amazing. Although...when you think about it, she's almost too amazing...Like, it's almost unnatural how good she is at this…_

Sakura started to wonder who the person manipulating Hifumi's strings was, leading Makoto to come to a startling conclusion as his eyes widened.

 _The true killer manipulated Hifumi...there's really only one person who fits. Oh god! Well, here's my answer…_

"Celeste."

The Ultimate Gambler grimaced, uncomfortable with the new accusation, especially when Byakuya jumped on board, bringing up how the series of events was only put into motion by Celeste's suggestion, as well as her slip up when she said that more than one person had died. Celeste deflected by bringing up the picture she took, challenging everyone else in the room.

"If everything I told you was a lie, how can this picture exist?"

"Simple. Are we sure that's really a picture of the suspect dragging Hifumi away?"

 _Huh?_

"What could you possibly mean by that?"

Kyoko shook her head and smirked, replying "Surely there are other explanations than the one you've offered up."

 _Other explanations? The only other possibility is...I've got it!_ "I would say it's a picture of Hifumi dragging the suspect away!"

 _Not bad, Makoto!_

Kyoko watched with satisfaction at Celeste's cringe.

"That's certainly within the realm of possibility. The one being dragged off in that picture isn't Hifumi, but the person in the robot suit. We've simply been led to believe that it's the other way around. And the strange costume might only exist to lead us astray even farther. If you saw someone wearing something like that in this situation, of course you'd notice and be suspicious."

Yasuhiro jumped on board, accusing Celeste of framing him to be the culprit. Celeste for her part, nervously chuckled.

"Utterly impossible. Hifumi was dragging him away? Ridiculous."

"Is it? I don't think it's ridiculous at all."

"Then shut your mouth and allow me to educate you."

Celeste tried to make the point that if the person inside the Robo Justice suit was unconscious, they couldn't stand up, but Makoto countered, reminding her that the suit doesn't allow the user to bend at the waist.

Aoi's eyes lit up in comprehension as she interjected "That's right! They totally made a mistake when they made it, so it couldn't bend at the waist!"

"I'm not so sure that was a mistake...I think the suit was designed from the beginning to be used the way it was."

Celeste cringed as Makoto postulated that she and Hifumi specifically designed the suit to fit Yasuhiro into it to fake the whole series of unfortunate events, leaving Kyoko smiling at Makoto's deductive skill.

 _Well done, Makoto._

Celeste's mask broke; screaming in rage, she growled out that Hifumi had moaned Yasuhiro's name as he died, so he had to be the guilty party.

Shaking her head in skepticism, she retorted "He did say Yasuhiro, but are we sure he was really pointing the finger at Hiro?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'll burn you alive!"

Makoto felt an urge to silence Celeste for threatening Kyoko, confusing the boy as to why the urge was so strong.

Shaking his head and filing that thought away for later, Makoto asked "Kyoko...what do you mean by that?"

"Think back to how Hifumi used to talk to us...How did he refer to each of us?"

 _How did he refer to us...wait a minute...he always called me Mr. Naegi instead of Makoto...I got it!_ "He called us all by out last names!"

Nodding and smiling, Kyoko confirmed "Exactly. I know I heard him say Mr. Naegi more than once, for example. So if Hifumi did mean to say Hiro's name, he would have said his last name - Hagakure."

Celeste tried to pass it off as coincidental and random chance, a ploy that couldn't fool even Yasuhiro.

"Random chance...Now isn't that a convenient explanation? No, there's no reason to think he would have said the name any different than normal. But he must have run out of energy before he could say any more."

Sakura pointed out that the last name Yasuhiro didn't apply to any of them, but Makoto shook his head, pointing out that nobody knew Celeste's real name.

"Fill us in. What's your real name?"

Screeching, Celeste insisted "My real name is Celestia Ludenberg! Could you PLEASE stop making me repeat myself over and over again!"

Makoto sighed with exasperation at Celeste's stubbornness, and the debate continued, the tension so thick a butter knife could cut through it.

"Hifumi was trying to tell us something...He wanted us to know the killer's last name - Yasuhiro."

Celeste insisted that her name was Celestia Ludenberg, starting "And since you have no way to contradict me..."

 _Wait...I do have a way...The handbook! This is the situation that Kyoko was talking about. Kyoko...you thought this far in advance?_

Makoto demanded that she show everyone the name on her handbook, causing Kyoko to smile as she refused to cooperate, leaving Makoto to detail all the specifics of her crime since she was unwilling to talk.

"Sorry, you lose!"

 _Checkmate!_ Kyoko thought.

"I...I lost?"

XXX

Celeste conceded, revealing her true name to be Taeko Yasuhiro, and was voted guilty.

"I guess trying to work with someone else was a mistake, after all" she lamented. "Hifumi's ineptitude was beyond all my calculations."

"So you really did approach Hifumi with this plan? But how did you get him to agree? I can't imagine he would have happily agreed to commit murder."

Byakuya hypothesized that she lied to him, but Celeste chuckled and dismissed the possibility.

Coming to a realization, Kyoko asked "Then did you use...you know…?"

Celeste confirmed it, explaining that she used the one thing that both Hifumi and Kiyotaka were super into.

 _She must mean Alter Ego_ Makoto realized.

Monokuma tried to but in and find out what they were talking about, only to be chastised by Kyoko.

"Don't interrupt. We're in the middle of a very important conversation here." Monokuma walked away, depressed, and Kyoko continued "Then you're the one who stole it?" When Celeste confirmed it, Kyoko realized "And you used it to drag Hifumi into the plan you'd come up with."

Celeste confirmed Kyoko's suspicions, explaining how she went to Hifumi with a lie that Kiyotaka took advantage of her and made her steal the laptop, and that he was planning to kill Hifumi first. She also explained how she lied to Hifumi by saying that he would have woken up later claiming that he had just barely held on. Meanwhile she would have murdered another person, giving Hifumi a perfect alibi. Everyone shivered in disgust, appalled by Celeste's lack of morals.

As Aoi claimed she was no better than Byakuya, Celeste countered "No, he derives his pleasure from the thrill of the hunt. In that aspect, we are nothing alike."

Confused, Kyoko asked "Then...what made you take things this far?"

Celeste explained that contrary to her apparent demeanor, she had only been thinking of an escape, and had planned on combining Monokuma's $10,000,000 with her own savings to buy the castle that she had dreamed of living in.

Everyone expressed shock at how far she was willing to go for that dream; Aoi in particular expressed shock at how calm she was with her impending execution. Makoto saw the forced smile as she said that she could easily fool herself as much as she could fool everyone else. As Monokuma announced that it was punishment time, Celeste walked up to Kyoko and placed her hand against hers.

"Guess I'll let Kyoko hold onto this."

Kyoko looked at her open palm, her eyes widening.

"This is…"

"Will it really give you the hope you're looking for? Can't say I really saw it that way..."

Celeste sighed as she walked forward, steeling herself for her impending execution.

XXX

Despite it being for the third time, everyone save Kyoko was still appalled at the sight. Celeste had been strapped to a wooden pole in the ruins of a castle and burned at the stake. That throwback to ancient witch trials would have been horrifying enough, but as usual Monokuma had to throw in a dash of irony to his recipe; as she was burning alive, Monokuma drove a fire engine at breakneck speed and rammed it into her, killing Celeste instantly. Monokuma started cackling about how it was his responsibility to knock them all down, since they were to pass the torch of hope ot the next generation.

Makoto clenched his fists in rage as he roared "Don't talk like you're not responsible! What od you want from us?"

Kyoko watched in concern, but made no move to stop him. Despite his outburst, she could tell that Makoto was in sufficient control of his emotions to prevent himself from lunging at Monokuma.

For his part, Monokuma told him to give it a rest, then turned his attention to Kyoko.

"So anyway...Kyoko, did I see you get some kind of key-type object from Celeste? So uh...what's the deal with that?"

Makoto blanched, worrying what would happen if Kyoko refused to tell him, but also fearing what would happen if the mastermind found out about Alter Ego.

Kyoko smiled and replied "I'll answer your question, if you answer mine. What did you do? What did you...do to me?"

"What?"

"Answer me. What did you do to my body?"

 _Do…? Monokuma did something...to her body?_

Makoto felt a steaming anger boil within him, wondering what Monokuma had done to Kyoko.

 _When I get my hands on that masochistic stuffed toy…_

Monokuma raced out of the courtroom, and without the bear's presence to enrage him, Makoto calmed down.

"What's that key Celeste gave you?"

"Most likely...it's the key to one of the dressing room lockers."

Everyone realized that Celeste had hidden Alter Ego in one of the dressing room lockers.

"Correct. She hid it right under our noses."

Sakura suggested that they check it out; Kyoko concurred "Good idea."

The survivors rushed into the elevator, despair mixed with a sprinkle of hope in their hearts.

XXX

"I'm going to go on alone from here. Everyone else head to the dining hall. I'll check in with you later."

Skeptical, Byakuya asked "Why, exactly, are you going alone?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

As Byakuya brought up the risk of there being a spy for the mastermind, Makoto clenched his fists in frustration.

 _Dammit Byakuya, she's not a spy! I trust her._

"Then I'll go too." At Byakuya's appalled look, Makoto pleaded "Please, just let me go!"

"Hmph. Do whatever you want."

As Byakuya and Sakura left, Aoi exclaimed "Huh? So Makoto and Kyoko are gonna go...together? Ahh! Does that mean what I think it means?!"

 _Byakuya was right; Makoto is in love with her! It explains why he was so worried about her and the dopey grin he had when we found her during the investigation!_

"Good luck, Makoto! Girls like her are total pushovers when you show a little backbone!"

Makoto blushed as he comprehended Aoi's last words before she ran off.

 _I'm not in love with Kyoko; I'm just concerned...right?_

Kyoko's cheeks were dusted with a light pink as she turned around, asking "Well? Shall we?"

Nodding, Makoto followed her into the locker room.

XXX

Kyoko handed Makoto the key, pointing to locker #17 and stating "We need to get into that locker…"

Makoto nodded, taking the key and opening the locker. As soon as it opened, a familiar voice blasted out.

"You really came! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's safe...Thank goodness…"

Makoto noted the uncharacteristic relief in her voice, and felt relieved as well. Alter Ego informed them that he was almost finished analyzing the files on the laptop, and might end up being done as early as tomorrow.

As Kyoko put the laptop back in the locker, Makoto remarked "I'm just glad it's okay."

"Well, that's one problem solved. So, now we can officially say the case is closed."

As he locked the locker, Makoto thought to himself _I'll give it one last shot. I won't be able to sleep at night until I know where she went and I can clear her of any suspicion!_

"Can we take a second? Since we have this opportunity, I want you to be honest with me..."

Makoto turned around and asked "When you were off by yourself, what were you investigating? Kyoko, please tell me...What are you trying to do all on your own here at the school?"

Kyoko felt equal parts touched and annoyed at Makoto's insistence at getting answers out of her.

 _That boy is as stubborn as a mule. Doesn't he realize that if he gets too close, he'll be at greater risk?_

"Is that why you wanted to come here with me? Regardless, that's not something you need to know right now. I told you not to worry about it!"

Frustration with the mysterious Ultimate boiling, Makoto raid his voice "Well, for your information, I was worried about you! I don't...need to know? That just makes me even more worried!"

Kyoko looked at him in shock and exclaimed "Worried?"

Kyoko had barely finished when Makoto continued. He had kept his worries bottled up for too long and now he was going to give her a piece of his mind.

"Like what happened during the investigation this time. Like I was saying, you practically vanished. You disappeared, and we didn't see you again. Without warning, without explanation. When you do that..."

Kyoko steeled her resolve, despite how each word chipped away at her barrier.

"I get it! It's okay...it's only natural that they think I'm the mastermind's spy, right? And you too…" Shaking her head, Kyoko continued "It's okay; quite frankly, in your shoes, I'd think I was the mole too. You're perfectly right to be suspicious."

Makoto looked in shock, his heart breaking at Kyoko's flawed presumption.

 _She thinks...she thinks I suspect her? Nothing could be further from the truth!_ "What? No! But I...I'm not! I...I'd follow you into battle, I trust you so much!"

"Not a very wise thing to say" Kyoko admonished, though a small part of her heart fluttered at Makoto's declaration of how far he would go based solely off of her judgment.

Frustrated again, Makoto roared "So what?! I...I believe in you. I trust you!"

"You believe...in me?" _Nobody's ever said they believed in me…_

"Isn't it obvious? People believe in their friends, right? That's why I want you to tell me. And I want you...to believe in me, too. I'm just hoping you'll return the favor."

Makoto panted, the emotional toll of letting out all his worries and exasperations exhausting him physically. Kyoko looked at him, coming to a realization.

 _No matter how much I try to keep him at a distance, he'll still try to get close. He'll keep insisting on helping me no matter how much I try to keep him away from my investigations and their dangers. So maybe...maybe I should stop trying to protect him from the dangers of my investigations. And I should stop trying to protect myself from his friendship; it's time I let him get close. Maybe he can help; I just hope we both know what we're doing…_

"Trust, huh? Very well, then. I understand. Then...maybe I can believe in you...just a little bit more. Perhaps it' s not unwise to see where this will lead us."

"Kyoko...does that mean..."

She nodded, clarifying "Fine. I'll tell you. I'll tell you why I've been disappearing, and where I've been going."

Makoto beamed, happy that she was willing to trust him this much, exclaiming "Thank you, Kyoko. I promise you won't regret it."

Kyoko smiled for a millisecond before reverting to her neutral expression.

"Listen to me carefully. You see...The boys bathroom on the 2nd floor doesn't have a surveillance camera or monitor in it. And in the storage closet there...way in the back...there's a secret room."

"Wow; this is starting to sound like part of a spy movie or something..."

Smirking, Kyoko replied "If you don't believe me, you can check it out for yourself..."

"What did I just say, Kyoko? I believe you, honest! I was just..."

"Gotcha!"

 _She played me again, didn't she?_

Kyoko briefly giggled into her glove, then became serious again and assured "In all seriousness, what I said about the secret room is true. I haven't had an opportunity to check it out in detail though, so I can't say for certain what's inside. It could be an important clue in solving the mysteries of Hope's Peak, but unless I can take time to look for it without attracting attention, I can't say for certain."

Kyoko walked forward, leaving Makoto to watch her leave the locker room. Before she left, she said one last thing to Makoto.

"Whether you go or not is up to you. But having a second set of eyes may throw the mastermind off guard, and would give us some much needed information that may help to unmask the one who imprisoned us."

 _And leave you vulnerable to an assault by the mastermind...I just hope I'm not putting you in too much harm's way…_

With that, Kyoko left, leaving Makoto to his thoughts. Within a few seconds, Makoto came to a realization.

 _...I'll do it. Once nighttime comes, I'll check out that room and get whatever intel Kyoko needs. I'll pull my weight, and truly pay her back for saving my life._

XXX

Makoto walked into the dining all and grabbed dinner, a somber group greeting him. Once he had grabbed his plate, he went and sat next to Kyoko, who had already started eating. He grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from his pocket, scribbled on it, and passed it to Kyoko. She looked down and read what he had written.

"I'll do it tonight. We'll meet up tomorrow to relay information."

Smiling, Kyoko wrote back "Just be careful. Stay alert. And thank you."


	5. Chapter Four: All Star Apologies

A/N: Okay, I was wrong; THIS is the longest chapter I've ever written. 19,000 words! Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Four: All Star Apologies

Makoto rubbed his head as he entered the dining hall, both from his physical pain from being attacked in the secret room, and from the mental frustration from trying to figure out what was going on with Sakura and Monokuma.

 _Could Sakura be...no, I can't make premature judgments yet. I'll have to confirm it with her next chance I get._

Aoi and Yasuhiro lamented how few people were in the dining hall now, with Kyoko commenting "Loneliness has become commonplace."

Aoi tried to lighten the mood by suggesting that they all eat until they passed out, though Yasuhiro and Makoto stepped back in shock at Aoi's next statement.

"Let's fry up some fish and donuts till we can't stand up!"

Chuckling at Aoi's enthusiasm, Kyoko replied "Still, the till we can't stand up part is a problem. After we're done, we need to go explore." As everyone nodded in agreement, she added "Plus, we still have Alter Ego. We don't have to give in to despair just yet."

Feeling his smile return a little bit, Makoto praised "She's right...We have to plan ahead and think about the future!"

Yasuhiro announced his prediction about how there wouldn't be any more murders, and he and Aoi got into an argument over whether his Clairvoyance predictions counted as occult arts.

"Don't put it in the same category as cattle mutilation!"

 _Huh?_

"He's referring to the urban legend where aliens abduct cows and dissect them as part of their research" Kyoko explained.

Yasuhiro went on to tell a story about how aliens abducted part of his hamburger, which just left Makoto even more confused.

To prevent the conversation from being derailed, Makoto uttered "I hope your prediction turns out to be true..."

Yasuhiro, Aoi, and Sakura, all affirmed that they would not become a murderer, with Kyoko chiming in "Nor I."

Makoto looked at Kyoko as he proclaimed "That goes for me too, of course. I could never kill any of my friends!"

Once Sakura brought up that Byakuya and Toko weren't there to say that, everyone's mood plummeted. The conversation effectively over, everyone went to get their plate and fill their stomachs. Makoto took a seat next to Kyoko and began eating. Kyoko watched him out of the corner of her eye and felt doubt and concern fill her heart; she had seen how Makoto looked as he came into the dining hall, and it just felt off.

 _Is he hiding something from me? No, he's not going to keep secrets from me, not after how much he said he trusted me. I'll just have to get him alone today so I can press him. I'll ask him when he fills me in on the secret room while we're exploring the next floor. He trusts me...enough to tell me the truth, right?_

XXX

"You know, you haven't told me what you think yet."

Kyoko turned to face him as he walked into the music room. Makoto had a confused expression on his face as he walked over to her.

"About the secret room in the boys bathroom…"

"Ah!" Makoto explained about how he found the secret room and said "As soon as I started looking around, I was attacked..."

 _I was afraid this would happen. It's why I didn't want you involved…_

"Attacked? By who?"

"Well...they came from behind, and I didn't have any time to react. So I didn't see who it was...And when I came to, the mountains of files and documents...were all gone."

 _At least you're okay._

Makoto apologized "I'm sorry. I know how important those were."

 _You've already done more than I would have asked you to do…_ "It's okay. I already saw what I needed to in there. And I half suspected the mastermind might come after you."

 _Is that why she was so adamant about doing this by herself the other day?_

Noticing Makoto's confused look, she explained "When I discovered the room, the mastermind must have seen me on the surveillance camera in the hallway. They must have seen me go into the boys bathroom, and not come out again. Still, I wanted you to go and see it...I wanted to see how the mastermind would react. Essentially, I wanted to find out if the mastermind actually knew about that room. But to attack you, and steal everything in the room...That must mean there was some unknown clue in there that could reveal the mastermind's identity."

"Then...you knew I was gonna get attacked?"

Makoto felt a twinge of irritation at Kyoko for essentially using him as bait.

 _Did you ever think to fill me in on the plan during dinner last night?_

Kyoko could see the irritation going through Makoto, and felt a twinge of guilt for leaving him in the dark about her intuition.

She chose to mask her guilt by asking "You can handle that kind of thing though, right? After all, you're a boy." _Okay, that was a pathetic cover up and you know it._

Makoto chose to take a deep breath and let it go for the time being.

 _What's happened has happened. Water under the bridge…_ "Fine...I understand. Then let me ask you something else. Do you know about the note that was left in there? The note that said you must not leave?"

"We...shouldn't talk about that. Not here."

Makoto followed her gaze to the surveillance camera and caught on.

"...I'm looking into it. If I find out anything, I'll let you know. Is that okay?"

Kyoko had gotten up in his face with that last question, leaving Makoto with little choice but to nod in the face of Kyoko's intimidation. It was clear that she was demanding, not asking.

 _Alright, no more stalling. I showed you mine, now you show me yours._ "So, now it's your turn. Let's hear your secret."

"Huh?" _How did she...am I really that obvious about it?_

Kyoko smirked and continued "Did you think I wouldn't notice? You're hiding something...Am I wrong?"

 _Well, I guess technically, but it's for good reason! I haven't even gotten the facts from Sakura yet! If I spill now, we may end up at each other's throats again!_

Kyoko looked at Makoto, his indecision confusing her.

 _Why is he being so frantic about this? All I want is for him to be honest with me…_ "What's the matter? If you're worried about the camera, why not just write it down?"

 _It's not a matter of keeping it from the mastermind; it's a matter of whether I have proof to risk throwing us into chaos!_

Kyoko frowned at Makoto's continued silence.

 _Why is he being so difficult? I trusted him, now he should trust me with his secrets!_ "We're friends, so you should be able to trust me. Isn't that what you said before?"

 _You're right that there shouldn't be any secrets between friends, but...There's nothing worse than expressing doubt about your friend when you don't have evidence for it...Damn it, I hate this!_ "S-Sorry...I can't tell you...not yet."

 _You can't tell me...yet? And just when do you plan on telling me, Makoto Naegi? Or do you plan on telling anyone at all?_ Hiding her frustration and anger, Kyoko replied "So...that's your answer. But do you think that's fair? You were happy to hear what I had to say, but now you're unwilling to share?"

 _You're right, it's not fair. But I'm doing this to keep us from falling apart. I can't choose between my friends. That's why, at least until I can ask Sakura directly, I can't say anything._

Makoto's head hung, a couple of tears falling from his cheeks onto the floor as he said meekly "I'm sorry. I really am..."

Normally, seeing Makoto upset enough to shed tears would have made Kyoko concerned and would have at least made her soften any negative feelings towards the Ultimate Lucky Student. But today, his apologetic demeanor only irritated her more.

"It's fine."

Kyoko grit her teeth as she said that, her heart feeling like it was beginning to crack, betrayed by Makoto's apparent hypocrisy. She walked past him, her barely concealed anger obvious to the boy.

"Goodbye."

She slammed the door shut, leaving Makoto alone with his thoughts. Once she was outside, she seethed.

 _Makoto Naegi...going to all that effort to make me spill my secrets, talking about trust and friendship, and the moment I ask him to show me what I showed him, he turns his back and runs away like...like...ugh! Well, he can get out of his own messes from now on!_

On the other side of the door, Makoto stared down at the floor, guilt flooding him with the impossible choice he was forced to make. A few tears dripped from his eyes and landed on the floor.

 _What have I done?_

 _XXX_

Makoto was the first to arrive back at the dining hall, taking a seat at the table and sighing into his hands. He had sufficiently composed himself since the not-fight in the music room, but by no means was he happy.

It wasn't long before Aoi, Sakura, Yasuhiro, and Kyoko trickled in. Unlike the last week however, instead of sitting next to or across from him, she chose to sit at the far end of the table, angling her gaze so that she didn't have to look at him.

"Um...Kyoko?"

Kyoko however refused to acknowledge his presence, making no move to turn her head or even to speak to him.

 _You're mad at me…_

Aoi plopped next to Makoto, confused about the sudden change in dynamic between the two Ultimates.

She leaned and whispered in his ear "Hey, Makoto...Does Kyoko seem upset to you?" _Don't tell me...they had a fight?_ Eyes widening in realization, she hissed "She is, isn't she?! She's totally mad!"

Makoto meekly nodded and whispered "Y-Yeah, it looks like it..."

Her brows angled in irritation, she yanked Makoto by the ear and hissed "I bet it's your fault, isn't it? You must've done something to her."

 _I suppose it is, but…_

Makoto clenched his fist in frustration as he mentally cursed the circumstances that led to Kyoko's ire.

 _I would tell if I could, but I can't betray one friend to please another. God, I hate this!_

Sensing the tension between the three Ultimates, Sakura gently redirected the conversation and explained that metal plates had been attached to the windows on the 4th floor as well.

"Just like everywhere else…" Kyoko mused.

The tense atmosphere temporarily dissipated, Aoi talked about how there was a chem lab and how it was filled with vitamins and poisons.

"Still, we'd better make sure we're careful around there" Kyoko warned. Aoi and Yasuhiro proposed that nobody tell Byakuya or Toko about the poisons, but Kyoko shot back "It's Byakuya. It won't be long before he's discovered it for himself."

Yasuhiro spoke about how the data center and headmaster's rooms were locked. The Ultimate Clairvoyant boasted about how Sakura could easily knock them down, but as if like magic, Monokuma appeared, seething at Yasuhiro's suggestion.

 _Great work Yasuhiro, you jinxed it!_

Wasting no time, Monokuma made a new rule that forbade them from breaking down a locked door. Once Monokuma was gone, Makoto remembered something from the 4th floor exploration, and perked up. He explained about how he found a photo of Sayaka, Celeste, and Hifumi, and how Monokuma insisted it was real. Yasuhiro insisted that the photo had to be a fake, but Makoto had reservations.

"I know we could just write that off as a lie, but..."

 _Oh, so he's willing to trust the bear, but he's not willing to trust me?_

"Then you trust Monokuma's word over the people who have died? That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

 _Where's THIS coming from? Just how angry did I make her?_ "No, that's not it..." Makoto tried to assure, finding the idea of him trusting the psychotic bear more than Kyoko or any of his friends baffling.

"I'm shocked. You told everyone how we should believe in our friends, but you refuse to do the same."

"Th-That's not..." _That's not it at all, Kyoko! If this is about me not telling you my secret, I'm doing it BECAUSE I want us to believe in each other!_

Yasuhiro and Sakura tried to break up Kyoko's verbal assault on Makoto, shocked that their two best investigators were fighting with each other. Even Aoi, who was currently on Kyoko's side, was startled by Kyoko's ferocity.

 _Okay, this clearly isn't a normal lovers' quarrel. So what happened?_

Before she could contemplate further, Byakuya strolled in and wasted no time in mocking them for their uncharacteristic lack of camaraderie. Aoi at first tried to make him go away, but at Byakuya's mention of a vital clue, everyone was suddenly interested.

"...Byakuya. What have you been up to?"

Byakuya revealed that he was in the bath, leaving Makoto confused, until his eyes widened in realization that Byakuya was speaking in code.

Her mind on the same track, Kyoko suggested "Maybe we should all go take a bath."

Everyone else nodded and swiftly left the dining hall, with Kyoko in front and Makoto last in line, sensing it was better if he gave Kyoko some space until she wasn't set off by every other word he said.

 _Why are you getting so emotional over this, Kyoko? I want my friend back…_

XXX

When they got to the bathhouse, they found Toko guarding the laptop, who refused to move until Byakuya said so.

 _Then what was the point of him telling us?_

Before any of them could try to further reason with her, she sneezed, triggering her transformation into Genocide Jack. Jack was marginally easier to negotiate with; she agreed to move, but only if Makoto would kneel and beg her to. He looked to everyone else, hoping someone would say something else that would sway her, only to find everyone urging him to humiliate himself already.

Kyoko's reaction was the worst though; she snubbed him, turning her head as if to say _I'm not helping you out of this one, Makoto._

Makoto sighed and conceded, falling to his knees and begging in the most desperate voice he could muster. Kyoko felt a strange mix of satisfaction and anger at Makoto's self-humiliation, which confused her.

 _Why do I even feel partially upset about this? We need to get to the laptop, and this is karmic retribution as far as Makoto is concerned, so why do I feel angry seeing Makoto like this?_

Filing the thought away for later, she decided to break her internal promise and save him.

"That should be enough, right? Hurry up and let us talk to Alter Ego."

Genocide Jack cackled and complied moving to the wall so they could access the laptop. Makoto walked forward and booted up Alter Ego.

Alter Ego beamed and exclaimed "You really came! I was finally able to crack open all the files that were on this laptop!"

"Just what I thought…" Kyoko mused, suspecting this result after Byakuya's hint.

Everyone suddenly became nervous, exemplified by Makoto's shaking hands as he prepared ot type in their next question.

It then left everyone shocked when Kyoko grasped the laptop out of Makoto's hands and ordered "Move."

 _She...she didn't even ask me this time…_

In spite of how emotionally wounded Kyoko's order made him, Makoto knew that disobeying her would only make things worse. He got up from the bench and backed up a good 5 feet behind her, so that he could barely see what she was typing.

"Here we go…"

Alter Ego revealed that the school administrators devised a plan to have the students live out the rest of their lives at Hope's Peak, leaving everyone shocked.

"That doesn't make any sense! Why would they do that?" Yasuhiro yelled out, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

"I don't think Alter Ego is finished. Perhaps we should hear the rest…" Kyoko advised.

Alter Ego went on to explain that this plan was concocted in response to a devastating occurrence known only as the Tragedy.

 _What the...is this...is this even real?_

Contrasting with everyone else, Kyoko appeared calm and analytical as she voiced "I see. Things are finally starting to make sense...What this means is, one year ago, this thing - this tragedy - took place. And whatever it was, it forced Hope's Peak to shut down. From there, they decided to use the school as a kind of staging ground...They planned to sequester the student shere, where they would live out the rest of their lives."

Sakura and Aoi wondered why the school would plan something like that, and what the Tragedy even was. Unfortunately, Alter Ego revealed that he couldn't find the answers to those questions on the laptop files.

"We get halfway through the answer, and that's it?"

"It would appear so. Disappointing…"

Her calm demeanor was shattered however when Alter Ego chimed in that the Headmaster had finalized the school's plan, and that he was probably still in the school.

"The headmaster...is here in this school!?"

 _Kyo...Kyoko?_

Sakura and Aoi speculated that he must be the mastermind, while Yasuhiro lamented that there was no way to get to him since the Headmaster's room was locked.

Still emotionally startled, Kyoko clenched her fist, stating "I'll find a way…No matter what it takes...I will find the headmaster. No matter what the cost…"

 _She sounds so determined, as though her life was depending on it. Kyoko...what are you thinking?_

"Kyoko? What's going on?"

Kyoko struggled to answer Aoi's question, rendered for the first time somewhat speechless as she slowly uttered "I can't explain why. I just...know that I have to find him."

Makoto watched with concern as she took more than a few deep breaths, struggling ot compose herself and regain her neutral expression. Makoto resisted the urge to grab her hand in comfort, and at last Kyoko looked like she was back to her normal self.

"...We should see if Alter Ego has any more information."

Alter Ego explained that there wasn't anything else on the laptop, and expressed regret for not being more helpful.

"Then...it really is all over" Yasuhiro moaned, only to be interrupted by Kyoko.

"Wait. Alter Ego seems to have more to say."

Alter Ego asked where Kiyotaka, Hifumi, and Celeste were, only to be shocked and teary eyed when Kyoko answered that they were dead. Alter Ego expressed regret and apologized.

Sighing, Kyoko said "Well then, I guess that's it."

Alter Ego's job done, he bid farewell before going into sleep mode, the atmosphere turning melancholy. It was Kyoko who broke the silence.

"We won't have to talk to him all that much anymore."

As Aoi lamented about how she felt sorry for Alter Ego, Yasuhiro interjected that he was just a computer program. This set off Makoto, who argued that Alter Ego was still their friend, even if he wasn't organic, with Aoi and Yasuhiro agreeing with him. Under normal circumstances, Kyoko would have been touched by Makoto's rousing speech. However, her irritation with the Ultimate Lucky Student prevented her from being drawn in to his camaraderie.

"So anyway…" As Yasuhiro expressed offense at being interrupted, Kyoko continued "Anyway, there's nothing more Alter Ego can do to help us. As such, his role in this is over. Am I wrong about that?"

"No, but..."

Kyoko cut him off by glaring at him and continuing "And frankly, I question the ease with which you decide who is and isn't your friend."

Makoto barely held back tears, hurt by Kyoko's lashing out.

 _Do you really mean that…_

Sakura sensed that another argument was brewing and diverted the conversation to go over what Alter Ego had managed to dig up. They also tried to wrack their brains as to what the Tragedy could have been, but they all came up empty.

"That event led to the closing of Hope's Peak. If nothing else, it must have had some kind of connection to this school."

Sakura and Aoi speculated that since none of them could think of what it was, that maybe the school tried to cover it up.

Yasuhiro expressed outrage at such a conspiracy and exclaimed that the government should handling whatever the Tragedy was, to which Kyoko replied "Maybe. But right now there's only one path open to us...We have to find the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. We have to find him, and make him tell us everything. As long as we can get our hands on him, I think…"

Kyoko started to become marginally more frantic as she spoke of the headmaster, leaving Makoto concerned.

 _Kyoko…_

Makoto barely restrained the urge to hold her hand and comfort her.

Once she composed herself, Kyoko stated "Well, our business is done here, so for now we should get out of here."

At that moment, Genocide Jack sneezed, reverting back to Toko. She looked around and stammered that Byakuya would be mad at her for not guarding the laptop.

"Let's avoid getting involved any further" Kyoko advised.

Everyone nodded, choosing not to comment further and left the bathhouse, their business done.

XXX

They didn't get far until Monokuma popped out of nowhere, ranting about how angry he was before disappearing again. Before any of them could contemplate what he meant, the nighttime announcement played.

One it was done, Kyoko turned around and addressed the group by asking "So, it's nighttime. What does everyone want to do? Celeste was the one who suggested our nighttime rule, but she's gone now…"

Aoi said that she still wanted to keep Celeste's rult to calm her nerves, and Yasuhiro voiced his agreement.

Kyoko turned to Makoto and asked "What about you, Makoto?"

Caught off guard that Kyoko was giving consideration to his opinion, Makoto wisely chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth and nodded to indicate his agreement with the others.

"Very well then. In that case, time for bed."

Everyone then dissipated, going back to their bedrooms. Makoto got changed and fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning from the guilt eating away in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko. I'm really sorry..."

XXX

The lavender haired girl peeked out of her room, then discreetly slipped out the door and closed it without making a sound. She then started making her way through the hallway until she spotted Aoi and Yasuhiro at the dining hall entrance.

"Hey Kyoko. You come to grab some grub?"

Kyoko shook her head at Aoi's cheerfulness and replied "Not yet, no. I actually came to ask you a favor."

Aoi raised her brow in confusion at Kyoko's request.

 _A favor? Why me though? Doesn't she usually ask Makoto to be her sidekick?_

Deciding to cut straight to the point, she requested "After Makoto has breakfast, come to my room and ring my doorbell. I'll come get my own breakfast when he leaves the dining hall."

"Wait, so you're avoiding Makoto now? Isn't that a little childish?"

Aoi cringed at Yasuhiro's wording, and Kyoko sent her glare of doom normally reserved for murder culprits towards Yasuhiro.

"Care to repeat that, Yasuhiro?"

The Ultimate Clairvoyant yelped in fear and hid behind Aoi, the sight making Kyoko flashback to the day she met Makoto, making her blush for a moment before shaking her head.

Trying her hand at getting Yasuhiro's thoughts across in a better sentence, Aoi treaded carefully as she spoke "Kyoko, what Makoto did, was it really that bad? I mean, this just seems a little...extreme. What was it that he did to deserve this? Did he show you too much backbone?"

Thinking back to Makoto's forceful speech towards her a couple of nights ago, as well as his rebuffs of her attempts to find out the truth, Kyoko realized that she wasn't used to being stood up to, particularly by the shy Makoto.

 _Is that why I'm so angry with him? Because I can't take being told no? No, it's because he can't trust me after telling me to trust him, it's a double standard!_

Choosing not to reveal her thoughts, Kyoko cryptically replied "In a manner of speaking..." Turning around, she walked away, saying "I'm heading back to my room now. Goodbye."

XXX

Makoto walked in and went to the dining hall, walking up to Sakura, Aoi, Toko, and Yasuhiro. He started wondering where Kyoko was, leaving Yasuhiro to chime in with the truth.

"Oh, she said she'd come by later."

"Later?" _Why isn't she here now?_

"Yeah. After you leave."

Makoto's heart cracked some more after hearing that.

 _So now she's not even trying to hide it. She hates me, doesn't she?_

Aoi then started berating Makoto for being too forward with Kyoko, leaving Makoto even more confused, which eventually turned into an argument between Aoi and Toko, leaving Yasuhiro to try and break them up.

"Anyway, you and Kyoko need to make up already, ya know?"

"Y-Yeah, I know..."

 _I know I messed up here, guys. For goodness sake, I couldn't even sleep, I was feeling so guilty. But I need to get the story straight from Sakura before I can do anything else._

His path clear, he turned to the Ultimate Martial Artist and asked if they could talk later. Aoi then started accusing him of trying to make advances on Sakura since Kyoko had dumped him, leaving Makoto to frantically reassure everyone that wasn't the issue. Intervening, Sakura asked if they could talk tomorrow instead, explaining that she was currently feeling some aches and pains.

 _Could it be…_

As Makoto flashed back to what he saw of her fight with Monokuma, Sakura assured him that some sleep and protein would leave her good as new. Aoi angrily warned him not to bother Sakura until tomorrow, leaving the boy to frantically nod. Sakura apologized and at Yasuhiro's suggestion, everyone present began to eat breakfast. Makoto hastily threw together some cereal and fruit and scarfed it down as quickly as possible, making his way to his room and closing the door.

 _Kyoko...you really...do you really hate me so much?_

Makto spent the next hour taking some breaths, trying to calm his emotions as the torrent of emotion threatened to overwhelm him.

XXX

It wasn't until around noon that Makoto deemed it safe to leave his room again. Cautiously, he tiptoed out, sighing when no sign of Kyoko appeared.

 _Maybe I need a walk to calm my nerves…_

It was on this walk that he saw Kyoko on one of her investigations. He froze in his tracks, trying to figure out how to react to crossing paths with her.

 _I know I can't tell her anything yet, but Yasuhiro said that we have to make up, an dI want to be her friend again. Alright, I'll give it a shot!_

Steeling his nerves, he walked over to her and was about to give a shy greeting when Kyoko's words cut through him like a blade, without even looking at him.

"Go away. I'm busy. I don't have time to waste..."

Makoto felt his heart break even more, if it was possible. Fearful, Makoto gulped and ran in the other direction, heading back to his room and shutting the door. He threw himself on the bed, burying his head into the pillow. Tears leaked into the pillow as he sobbed, his emotional restraint having reached his limit.

"Kyoko hates me...she really hates me. She hates me so much she doesn't even want to look at me. She won't even let me say I'm sorry. How can I fix this when she won't even let me? I...I want my friend back. My friend who...who believed in my innocence when I needed someone to. This is worse than...when Sayaka died..."

If Makoto had anything else to say, it was drowned out my the sobs he shed into his pillow. What Makoto didn't realize was that he had accidentally left his door open a crack. Aoi had been walking down the hallway when she heard every word he said, leaving the Ultimate Swimming Pro shocked and downcast, feeling a touch guilty of how she had berated Makoto when he was suffering too.

 _Those two...Yasuhiro's right, they need to make up, and soon. Kyoko needs to know that… Tomorrow! I'll pull her aside tomorrow and tell her how Makoto's feeling._

XXX

Makoto walked into the gym, having heard Monokuma's announcement. He had honestly contemplated not going, wondering whether a punishment from Monokuma would have been more merciful than Kyoko giving him the cold shoulder. At the end of the day however, he forced himself off the bed and down the hall to the gymnasium.

Everyone watched as he came in, Kyoko doing a double take at Makoto's appearance. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, and he had made no effort to wipe the tear tracks from his cheeks. Kyoko's purple eyes softened in concern, starting to second guess her decision to ignore him for the first time.

 _Was I...was I too hard on him?_

Before she could ponder further, Monokuma popped up from behind the podium, causing everyone to refocus their attention on the sadistic bear. Everyone started voicing their suspicion that Monokuma was about to reveal the next murder motive. To everyone's surprise though, Monokuma instead started ranting about how he called them to get rid of his grudge.

 _His...grudge?_

"We have a grudge against you, of course, but I don't recall you ever having a grudge against us."

Monokuma then revealed the biggest bombshell up to that point; his spy was Sakura Ogami. Discord successfully sewn, Monokuma disappeared, leaving Sakura to face her fate. Everyone save Byakuya, Makoto, and Kyoko reacted with shock and disbelief.

"Well, Sakura? If he's wrong, all you have to do is tell us."

After a painful pause, Sakura all but admitted the truth. Aoi defended Sakura's actions, and Makoto joined in right after, deciding to at last unveil what he had seen that night.

"You...saw all that?"

Though she still kept her neutral expression, Kyoko was rattled by Makoto's revelation.

 _This was it, right? This was the secret you kept from me…_

There was no time to ponder further though; Byakuya immediately questioned who the mastermind was, but Sakura lamented that she was never trusted with that information. Furthermore, she had revealed that she was ordered to kill if nobody had killed another for a while. Aoi fiercely defended Sakura's character, only for Sakura to gently silence her, insisting that she had to take responsibility.

"How do you intend to do that?"

Sakura replied that she was going to defeat the mastermind once and for all. After uttering one last apology for not telling her secret earlier, she walked out the building, her steps leaving earthquakes in everyone's ears.

As she left, the nighttime announcement rang, but the argument wasn't over. Byakuya and Aoi went back and forth about Sakura, leaving Kyoko to resume her role as mediator and step in.

"Let it go for now, Hina. Talking about it isn't going to help anything." Aoi objected, tears in her eyes, but Kyoko gently rebuffed "Go to your room, cool down, and we can continue this discussion tomorrow."

Growling, Aoi stomped out, leaving everyone else to follow her back to their rooms for the evening, any sense of camaraderie evaporated.

XXX

Kyoko waited outside the dining hall entrance, tapping her foot against the floor. Though she was still upset with Makoto, she had gotten worried along with the others when he hadn't showed up for breakfast like he normally did. As such, she wordlessly volunteered to wait outside for him until he came.

Luckily she didn't have to wait long; she spotted Makoto walking from his room toward the dining hall. She watched as he walked up to her and stammered "Kyoko...good morning..."

She didn't glare at him, but she wordlessly turned around and walked off into the dining hall, Makoto following her.

 _At least he's safe…_

Makoto was surprised to see Byakuya and Toko joining their group, who explained that they only decided to come in order to take refuge from Sakura. Byakuya and Aoi wasted no time getting into an argument over his negative perception of Sakura, with Aoi angrily arguing that Sakura's forced role as a spy was a stupid reason for everyone to hate her.

"Before you get too far into your argument, maybe you should think things through. Why did the mastermind reveal that Sakura was a spy to us?" As Aoi answered that it was because Monokuma wanted revenge for Sakura betraying him, Kyoko shook her head.

"That may be part of it, but it's not the whole picture. Revealing that fact was also meant to serve as the next motive the mastermind wanted to give us. The chaos and confusion born from suspicion...The hatred...In other words, this right here - the fighting, the bickering - is the trap the mastermind laid for us. Knowing that, will you still stand there and argue like children?"

Aoi stammered that it wasn't her intention and expressed her frustration that nobody would believe in Sakura. Yasuhiro voiced that he'd forgive her if she took down the mastermind, making Makoto cringe at his insensitivity. Byakuya however, was downright callous, claiming that it would be better if she died. That remark earned him a slap, fueled with every drop of Aoi's ire. From there, the argument escalated, Aoi claiming that Byakuya deserved to die, and Byakuya challenging her to. This only served to rile Aoi further, leaving Makoto to try and calm her down.

"H-Hina! Calm down!"

Kyoko calmly interjected "This is exactly what the mastermind wants. And it's exactly what Sakura doesn't want."

Trembling, Aoi stormed out to cool off before she acted too drastically. Makoto stared after her, feeling powerless to help his friend. Byakuya berated her as a hysterical girl who was hardly worth his attention.

"It's what other people call having feelings, Byakuya. And all you can do is mock them for it." Catching Byakuya off guard with her scolding, Kyoko continued "A friendly word of warning - someday that attitude is going to come back and bite you. Hard."

Their appetites lost, everyone left the dining hall, losing more and more of their morale with every step.

XXX

It wasn't for a couple more hours until Makoto ran into Kyoko again. Mustering up the courage to try and talk to her again, Makoto walked up to her, only to be rebuffed in the same fashion that he was yesterday. Emotionally numb from the rollercoaster of events over the past couple of days, Makoto quietly walked away. Unbeknownst to Makoto however, Kyoko's rejection this time around was much more forced, as the inadvertent revelation of his secret was causing her to second guess herself.

To further complicate matters, Aoi had heard the most recent exchange and, intending to make good on her promise from yesterday, walked up to Kyoko.

"What are you thinking, Kyoko? Why haven't you and Makoto made up yet?"

She turned to the Ultimate Swimming Pro and replied "Aoi, are you feeling better?"

Aoi rolled her eyes and retorted "Don't change the subject here. This whole cold shoulder routine you're giving Makoto is really getting old. WE want you to patch things up, HE wants you to patch things up, so go and make up already."

"Forgive me, Aoi, but last I heard, you were also talking tough to Makoto the other day. What exempts you but not me?"

"I'm not exempted, and I'll get my turn to apologize for assuming. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it was Makoto withholding information about Sakura from you that made you ticked off, right?"

When only silence greeted her, Aoi continued "I thought so. You probably felt betrayed, betrayed that Makoto wouldn't trust you with that information before Monokuma revealed it. Well I can't imagine how it must have felt, being in his shoes. You saw how the others reacted to the news about Sakura, and that was when the bear told us. How much worse do you think it could have been if Makoto had said it, without any hard evidence to prove it?"

Though she stayed silent, Kyoko had to grudgingly admit that Aoi had a point. She knew that Makoto was the kind of person who would want to keep the group united at all costs; accusing one of his friends of betrayal without hard evidence would have gone against everything he stood for. She had to admit that she was basically asking him to choose between her and Sakura, an impossible choice for someone like Makoto.

 _I guess he wanted to confirm it with Sakura first before he told anybody. I can see his logic, but…_

"And another thing; Makoto feels remorse for keeping that from us. He feels immensely guilty for it. I passed by his room the other evening and he left his door open ajar. And you know what I heard? He was crying, Kyoko! He was sobbing into his pillow, convinced that you hated him and pleading for his friend back. He wants his friend back who believed in him when none of us did. And you know the real kicker Kyoko? He cried that he felt worse thinking you hated him than he did when he discovered Sayaka's corpse in his bathroom!"

Kyoko was struck silent; it had been her goal to punish him and make him feel bad for breaking his promise and betraying her trust. It hadn't been her goal to make them bitter enemies and make him sob into his pillow.

 _What have I done?_

Aoi sighed and turned around, saying to the mysterious Ultimate "If there's one thing that Hope's Peak has taught us, it's that we can't guarantee any of us will be alive tomorrow. Tell me, if Makoto were to die tomorrow, would you want your last memories of him to be of you giving him the cold shoulder, of him fearing your hatred? The others already hate Sakura for her circumstances; don't drive Makoto away too."

As she walked away, Aoi said "The ball's in your court now, Kyoko. You can forgive and make up, or the two of you can die thinking the worst about each other. It's your choice."

Kyoko stood there, physically neutral but mentally shaken by Aoi's revelations and argument.

 _He thinks I...I hate him? Tomorrow, then. I'll talk to him tomorrow. She's right; this feud of ours has gone on long enough, and if we're going to make it out of here alive, we need to stay united. Thank you, Aoi._

XXX

"What's going on? What's all this noise about?"

Kyoko had walked into the nurse's office to find Sakura screaming at the heavens.

"I gather that something happened?"

Makoto begged Kyoko to stop Sakura, only for Sakura to calm down on her own, storming out with a bandaged Aoi following her, leaving Makoto alone with her for the first time since their fight. It was Makoto who broke the silence.

"A-Ano...Kyoko…? Are you...still mad?"

 _Yes, but more at myself than you…_

Her pride unwilling to let her voice that thought, Makoto took her response as a confirmation and lamented "Yeah, I figured."

"It's...fine." _We have to bury this hatchet. Might as well get it over with…_

"Huh?" _You mean she's actually talking to me? Don't mess this up, Makoto!_

"About that issue we discussed earlier...it doesn't matter anymore."

"Then...do you forgive me for not being able to talk about it?"

 _Forgive you...do you forgive me as well?_ "You could have told me about Sakura and Monokuma fighting, but you stayed quiet. You were only thinking of Sakura, and that's why you didn't tell me, right? You didn't want to confuse everyone until you could talk to her and be sure of what you saw. That's what you were thinking, and that's why you didn't tell me. Right?"

Makoto nodded, not trusting his mouth to not mess this chance up. Kyoko opened her mouth, unable to resist saying something that she would later deem as snarky and unnecessary.

"To think like that...I wouldn't have expected such arrogance from you. Because ultimately, that means you don't trust me." _And what of the class trials? Didn't he trust you then?_

"N-No, that's not it..." Makoto sighed in defeat and finished "But if that's how you feel, I can't really change your mind. I'm sorry..."

Kyoko turned her head, a faint blush visible from her cheeks as she confessed "It's fine. I've already forgotten about it. Besides...I may have...overreacted."

 _Kyoko...am I hearing things, or did you just admit you were wrong?_

Kyoko held her hand in front of his face as she said "Anyway, it's over and done with. Like I said, let's just forget about it."

Makoto beamed and nodded, ecstatic that he had his treasured friend back and that he was in her good graces once more.

Smiling softly, she turned her head to the side, starting "Anyway, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Raising his eyebrow in curiosity, Makoto asked "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Actually, I'd like you to come somewhere with me. I have business there…"

"Where…?" _I'll follow anywhere, but it'd be nice if you told me where you wanted to take me…_

Smirking, Kyoko replied "Just come with me, and you'll find out."

Makoto nodded, and Kyoko turned around and started walking out the door. Before they could leave though, Makoto called out to her.

"Kyoko?"

Kyoko turned around, curious at what Makoto wanted to say.

"I...I missed you, you know..."

Makoto was blushing, smiling a dorky smile as he confessed that particular feeling.

 _...Me too…_

Kyoko however didn't voice that thought. Instead, she wordlessly intertwined her left hand with his right, causing the both of them to blush, before lightly tugging to get him to follow her.

"Well then, shall we get going?"

Soft smiles crossed both their faces, Makoto understanding that Kyoko missed him too, and Kyoko making a promise to herself as they walked.

 _...I'll never make you suffer like that again…_

XXX

"The dressing room…?! So the something else you mentioned…!"

"That's right. It has to do with Alter Ego."

Makoto was confused, stammering "But...you said we didn't need Alter Ego anymore." _He cracked open all the files on this case, so what's left for him to do?_

Kyoko shook her head and corrected "I didn't say we didn't need him. I just said he had done his job. Besides, it's not us that needs Alter Ego. He has business with us. Alter Ego asked me to bring others to come see him. Apparently he has something he wants to ask us." Handing the laptop to Makoto, she finished "Will you do the honors, Makoto?"

Makoto nodded, gratefully accepting the laptop and sitting on the bench, Kyoko sitting right next to him. Makoto placed the laptop so that it was sitting on both of their laps as he powered on Alter Ego. When Alter Ego noted that two people would be plenty, Makoto openly wondered what Alter Ego wanted to ask them.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

The program's request shocked the two Ultimates; he wanted them to connect him to the school network.

"...What?"

Alter Ego explained that he wanted to do more to help everyone escape from Hope's Peak, and that connecting to the network was the only way left that he be helpful. Makoto pointed out the foolishness of the idea, that even attempting to do such a thing was just asking for a death sentence.

"You agree, right Kyoko?"

Kyoko however remained silent, worrying the Ultimate Lucky Student.

 _Kyoko, don't tell me...you're actually considering this?_

Alter Ego insisted that although he was scared and that he knew the risks, that he had to do this. Makoto felt lost in the courage and determination shown by the AI.

Gently, Kyoko argued "You remember what you asked before, Makoto? You asked what the difference is between a person and a program, right?"

 _You mean you were...actually listening to me back then? I thought you were trying to pretend I didn't exist…_

"When I talk to Alter Ego, I don't know...I have no idea how to answer that question. I think maybe that's a question even the program's creator can't answer. But I can say this...There's no question that Alter Ego is our friend."

"Kyoko..."

Makoto felt his eyes water as he realized just how much Kyoko took his words earlier to heart.

"To be honest, I didn't want Alter Ego to push himself anymore. Because if we take any more risks, the mastermind really will notice it...But...Let's do it, Makoto. Let's connect Alter Ego to the network."

"B-But…!"

Kyoko saw Makoto's hesitance start to waver, and finished "He's our friend, so I want to take his feelings into consideration. And he says that he wants to fight alongside his friends. If you were in his place, could you just sit by and do nothing in this situation? If you saw everyone else fighting and doing their best, could you just look the other way? Or would you stand up? Stand up tall next to everyone else and tell them you're their friend?"

 _She...she's right. If I said no now, after what I promised after Celeste's execution, I'd really be a hypocrite. And furthermore, everything Kyoko said in her anger these past couple of days would be true…_

"And besides...there's one place where the mastermind might not notice…Remember? There's another place besides here where there's no surveillance camera."

Makoto's eyes widened as he answered "That's it! The secret room you told me about…!"

Kyoko nodded, explaining "And I do believe you can connect to the network from there. I remember seeing an ethernet port on the wall. However, just because there's no camera there, doesn't mean there's no danger. There's no way to be sure the mastermind isn't monitoring the network somehow. We'll also have to move Alter Ego, and the mastermind may spot us going into the secret room. If they pick up on any of this, then...it's all over."

"You're right..." Makoto remembered how he had gotten conked on the head after finding the secret room.

"But despite all that, I still think we need to try. Because that's our best chance of finding any new clues."

Makoto nodded, persuaded by her speech. Makoto then requested that he be the one to transfer Alter Ego, since only he could hide the laptop under his clothing. Despite her reluctance to place Makoto in harm's way again, Kyoko saw the sense in the suggestion.

"Okay then, I'll leave it to you...Thank you. Then let's get started. It's gonna be a little cramped for you, Alter Ego. Bear with us, okay?" After Makoto had finished fitting the laptop underneath his shirt, Kyoko advised him "In the secret room, there are a bunch of different cables in one of the desk drawers."

"So there might be a network cable in there?"

"Assuming the mastermind hasn't taken it already…"

Makoto nodded; this plan was risky from the start, but the absence of a network cable was one of the less dangerous risks in this plan.

"Well, all we can do is go and check for ourselves."

Getting up off of the bench, Kyoko turned around and concurred "Agreed. Let's head to the secret room…"

So the two went off, Makoto grasping the bunched up fabric so as to not let Alter Ego slip as they headed through the school and up the stairs.

XXX

"Hey, Makoto...Are you sure all the documents are gone? I refuse to believe you! Go and check again!"

"Huh?" _What the heck, Kyoko? Why are you mad at me again?_

"Just hurry up and go! And to make sure you don't run off, I'm gonna wait right here!"

 _Wait...this is being too forceful. I get it; she's acting! Even I was convinced for a moment…_

"Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and go!"

Pretending to be offended, Makoto held up a single hand in surrender, exclaiming "O-Okay, okay, I'm going..."

As he was about to turn around, Kyoko uttered "And be thorough. I'm counting on you."

She winked, making Makoto blush as he opened the door to the bathroom.

XXX

"How'd it go?"

Makoto explained that it went okay, but that all the documents were gone.

Impressed that Makoto was able to keep up with her acting performance, Kyoko replied "I see...Then there's nothing left for us here. Goodbye."

 _That's it? Nothing else, just...goodbye?_ "Ah-Kyoko" Makoto called out as she walked away.

"Yes?"

"Um-So we're just gonna split up?"

Failing to see the problem, Kyoko answered "Of course. I have no reason to stay with you at this point."

 _...Why do I suddenly feel like I'm being ignored again…_

"Isn't that a little too...direct?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes and teased "Should I hesitate and fumble for something to say? You're so high-maintenance…"

 _High maintenance?_

Makoto explained that he was wondering what they were going to do about Sakura. After all, the matter couldn't just be brushed off like their fight.

"Well...something has to be done, it's true. But the way things are right now, there's no way to persuade anyone. They don't have the mind to listen."

That was true enough; just listening to Byakuya and Aoi go at it like cats and dogs was all the proof anyone needed to see that nobody would listen to each other the way things were going.

"Then what should we…?"

Kyoko sympathized with Makoto's filing of helplessness and offered "If we can find some new clue, that would likely change the situation. That's all we can hope for right now." Laying her hand on his shoulder, she finished "All we can do is wait, and believe in our friends."

Makoto nodded and the two parted ways, Makoto getting a bad vibe and making him shiver as he walked back to his room.

XXX

Makoto yawned, rubbing his eye as his doorbell rang.

"Who's ringing my doorbell?"

He walked over to the door and opened it, to find to his surprise Kyoko standing on the other side.

"Makoto, get out here."

Makoto yelped as grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him into the hallway.

"Hey! Kyoko…? What's going on?"

He was troubled by the slight hint of panic in her purple eyes as she explained "Hina just came to see me, and she was white as a ghost. It sounds like something's happened…"

If Makoto was still asleep at all, those words woke him up fast, his eyes widening in shock and dread.

"She said for us to come to the rec room."

"Okay! Let's hurry."

Makoto dashed off, leaving Kyoko in the dust as she struggled to keep up with him.

XXX

The dynamic duo spotted Aoi standing outside of the rec room, a frantic expression on her face.

While Makoto caught his breath, Kyoko said "I'd better hear what Hina has to say…"

Aoi waved them over and urged them to look into the window, and spotted Sakura sitting on a bench, seemingly asleep.

"What's going on? Did something happen to her?"

Aoi explained that she was walking by and saw Sakura in the rec room, but the door wouldn't open and Sakura wouldn't respond when Aoi called out to her.

As Aoi wondered what to do, Kyoko calmly stated "First of all, we need to get into that room." As Makoto brought up that they may be breaking the new regulation if they tried to break in, Kyoko retorted "We're going to force our way in."

Irritated at feeling ignored, Makoto growled "I just said-"

"The door isn't locked. It's not locked because the rec room door doesn't have a lock." Seeing Makoto's confusion, Kyoko explained "It feels like the door is pressing up against something inside the room. Is it...the chair?"

"Chair…?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko continued "Either way, this door isn't locked. Which means, as far as I can tell, the rule doesn't apply."

"Then...there's no problem if we break in?" _It's still a gamble, but I'll trust Kyoko._

"Let's smash the window. That should be the fastest way…"

As Aoi ran off to find something, Makoto and Kyoko peered through the window again. Makoto expressed confidence that Sakura would be fine, but he was greeted with silence from Kyoko.

 _She'll be fine...right?_

Aoi handed Makoto a broom that she had found in the classroom.

"You can handle this, right Makoto?"

Makoto nodded and wasted no time in running towards the door, jabbing the window with the wooden end like a saber, shattering the glass. Makoto then jostled the chair away from the entrance, cutting his hand in the process on the jagged glass still attached to the door. As he pulled his hand away, Kyoko swiftly and wordlessly covered the minor wound with a bandage that she had taken from the nurse's office. No time for an expression of gratitude, Makoto slammed the door open, and the three Ultimates rushed inside.

XXX

"We didn't make it in time. It's happened again…"

Aoi rushed out the door to get the others, leaving Makoto to stare in shock at the sight in front of him. The past tragedies had left him numb to screaming and yelping; his only response was silence, with tears brimming in his eyes.

"I need to examine Sakura's body…"

Kyoko spoke with neutrality, her voice not betraying a hint of emotion as she stated the reality of what needed to happen. As she started to work, Aoi rushed in with Yasuhiro, Genocide Jack, and Byakuya in tow. Yasuhiro yelped in shock that she was the one to go, while Byakuya as usual expressed amusement in the recent murder.

"You heard the announcement just now, right? So you know what this means."

It wasn't long before Aoi pointed the finger at Byakuya, Genocide Jack, and Yasuhiro. Then Makoto pointed the finger at Monokuma when he came to deliver the Monokuma File, only to be refuted by the sadistic bear. As Aoi continued to seethe at Byakuya for his insensitive remarks regarding Sakura, Kyoko intervened as the mediator to refocus the group.

"Right now, our top priority needs to be uncovering Sakura's killer. If we can't do that, we're all dead."

When it came time to choose who to guard the crime scene, Aoi enthusiastically volunteered. What nobody saw coming however, was Byakuya's demand that Kyoko be the second guard.

"...Me?"

Byakuya explained that she had been a thorn in his side, so he was ordering her to stay behind this time.

 _Byakuya, you can't! Kyoko's our best detective here; we NEED her to be able to investigate. Without her, our chances of survival will plummet!_

To Makoto's shock and dismay, Kyoko acquiesced to Byakuya's demand "Fine. I'll stay behind."

 _Kyoko…_

It was then that Aoi made a demand of her own; that Byakuya, Yasuhiro, and Genocide Jack be banned from the crime scene. Sensing that arguing further would be fruitless, Byakuya suggested a compromise in a rare moment of mediation; that only he be allowed to investigate.

Aoi tried to argue, but Kyoko reasoned "I know how you feel, Hina, but you should agree to his request." As Aoi tried to argue, Kyoko continued "We have to find out who killed Sakura. For those of us still alive, and to honor Sakura's memory…"

Aoi acquiesced, only insisting that Byakuya not be allowed to touch Sakura's corpse, which Byakuya insensitively agreed to. Sensing another fight coming, Kyoko cooled the tensions.

"That's enough fighting. We need to focus on the investigation from here on out. Everyone, keep this in mind. If we can't uncover Sakura's killer...all of us face execution."

Yasuhiro and Genocide Jack then left the room, leaving the other four Ultimates in the room. While Byakuya was looking around the room, Kyoko went up to Makoto and whispered in his ear.

"I think the case this time might be...a challenge."

"Why's that?"

Makoto was intrigued; for Kyoko to specifically label a case as a challenge was uncharacteristic of her, and indicative of its challenge.

"The only way into the rec room is the door we just came through. And that door had been jammed shut with the chair from inside the rec room. Which means the killer would have had to escape somehow, after barring the door. In other words, this is a classic locked room murder."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock; he had heard of such mysteries in books, movies, and video games, but he never expected to encounter such a thing at Hope's Peak.

 _Then again, I never expected to be trapped in a school and told to murder to graduate by a robot bear, so…_

"Are you curious to hear more about what a locked room murder entails?"

"S-Sure, if you don't mind..." _Anything to get us closer to finding Sakura's killer, I suppose…_

"When you break down this kind of murder mystery, there are four basic types. The first type is when the locked room is created after the actual crime is committed. This simply means that the killer commits his crime, then through some special method seals the room. This mainly involves some sort of trick involving the locking of the room. Basic approaches include using a string, or simple mechanism. There are a number of variations. Are you following me so far?"

Makoto nodded, understanding the basics of what Kyoko was trying to tell him.

"The second type is when the locked room already exists before the crime is committed. Basically the killer uses a special contraption or tool from outside to target the victim inside. You push a switch and it pires a handgun, you shoot an arrow through a gap in the door, something like that. But in this case, that doesn't seem to fit. There are no guns or arrows in the school, and the door doesn't have any gap that would allow it…"

 _Yeah, I think we can probably cross that one off the list…_ Makoto reasoned as he nodded to tell Kyoko he understood.

"The third type is when the killer stays in the room until it's opened up."

This time Makoto was confused; seeking clarification he asked "What do you mean by that…?"

Sighing, Kyoko explained "They stay hidden, and when the door is opened, they use the confusion to blend in with the group. They pretend they showed up along with everyone else, and that's that."

 _That sounds like it could have been possible...maybe…_

Seeing that Makoto at least understood the concept enough to ponder it, Kyoko continued "And the fourth and final type is when it wasn't actually a locked room at all."

"Not a locked room…?" _Okay, how can a locked room not be a locked room? Sounds like Schrodinger's cat…_

Seeing Makoto's confusion, she explained "By that I mean, there actually is an alternate escape route somewhere within the room. You see this a lot in novels and things, but in reality it's generally not possible."

"Then you think we can cross that one off, too?"

Nodding, Kyoko confirmed "I believe so, yes. So, when it comes to locked room mysteries, those are the basics."

 _So we're likely down to types 1 and 3…_ Hoping to draw on Kyoko's miraculous deduction, Makoto asked "Then...Kyoko, which of these four choices seems the most likely in this case?"

 _If I knew that, I wouldn't have bothered with the entire explanation…_ Kyoko tapped her chin in thought and replied "That's a good question. Answering that should be our primary focus during this trial. But right now...I can't really say."

 _Should have known it wouldn't be that easy…_

"But for Sakura to have been killed…" Kyoko started to ponder.

"Yeah, she's not the type who would go down without a fight."

"And she certainly didn't, I would say. She was the Ultimate Martial Artist, strong in body, mind, and spirit. So how was the killer able to get the upper hand on her…? I wonder...did someone get the upper hand…?"

"They must have taken her by surprise, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko replied "Certainly, they would have needed to if they expected to stand any chance against her."

Nothing more was said, Kyoko's intuition on that subject at its limits. Sighing, Makoto went to work investigating the crime scene. Makoto spotted four red bottles on a nearby counter, each one with a Monokuma figure and a chess piece inside.

"It's no different from your standard ship in a bottle."

Makoto jumped, Kyoko's explanation catching him off guard.

"Huh?"

 _He's never heard of a ship in a bottle?_ Sighing, Kyoko explained "You know, where the bottle's opening is smaller than the boat placed inside? You've never seen that?"

Realization crossing his face, Makoto exclaimed "Oh, yeah...maybe I have."

 _At least he's not completely sheltered…_ "So this is the Monokuma version of that. A...Monokuma Bottle, if you will."

Coming to the conclusion that a Monokuma bottle was the weapon, Makoto moved on with the investigation. His gaze moved to an open locker in the far corner and his eyes widened as he noticed a handprint on the inside of the door.

"What's a handprint doing here?"

No longer surprised at Kyoko's tendency to sneak up on him, Makoto answered "It looks like someone touched the inside of the locker, and it left a handprint in all the dust..."

Nodding, Kyoko commented "And it looks quite fresh, too. I'd say someone was hiding here in the locker, and they left behind a little something extra…"

Makoto excitedly brought up the possibility that this fit the third type of scenario yoko mentioned. The lavender haired Ultimate, though amused at Makoto's enthusiasm, shook her head.

"Unfortunately, that's not a possibility."

Makoto's energy deflated, and he exclaimed "Huh? Why not?"

Kyoko explained "Think back. Before we opened the door, we looked inside the room, right?"

Flashing back, Makoto realized his mistake as he replied "Oh yeah… And the locker was already open at that point..."

"So there's no way someone could have hidden in there until after we opened the door" Kyoko finished.

 _And here I thought I was onto something…_

Noting Makoto's depressed expression, Kyoko laid her hand on his shoulder in comfort and assured him "You're trying; that's important. No mystery gets solved with a single clue, so keep at it, alright?"

Makoto nodded and moved on from the locker. He turned to the shattered glass in front of the door that he forced open earlier, and noticed a white foam coffee cup with Proteinzyme - X printed on the front.

"It looks like...a protein drink. And it's empty…"

Makoto speculated that Sakura must have drank it before she died, since she loved protein drinks and believed that they were good for curing ailments. Kyoko however was unconvinced.

 _Did she? Then why is there glass under the cup?_ She shook her head and retorted "I wouldn't take that to heart, if I were you…"

 _...Are you trying to bruise my ego, Kyoko…_

"But that's strange…You see what's scattered around the can?"

Makoto looked closer and realized that she was referring to the glass shards from the window he broke.

"But they aren't just scattered around the can. They're also underneath it."

Confused, Makoto asked "Why does that matter…?"

Resting her hand on her chin, Kyoko answered "I can't say for sure yet, but you're probably going to want to take note of it. I feel like it'll become an important clue later on…"

Makoto nodded, filing it away for further analysis and continued with the investigation. Once he found all that he could, he walked back over to Kyoko.

"Well, Makoto? Have you finished with your general investigation?"

Makoto nodded and replied "Yeah, I think so...for the most part." _There's always the possibility that something else might turn up while I'm away, but Kyoko will probably find it while guarding Sakura's body…_

"Then you should probably go talk with people now. I'm on guard duty, so I can't leave. Which is why I've decided you'll go in my place."

 _She's been a little more pushy since our...issue. Not like we have too many options, with Byakuya's stupid demand and Yasuhiro and Genocide Jack not really making effort to investigate. Still, things would go a lot more smoothly if Kyoko could investigate as she pleased…_

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't it be better if I could convince Byakuya to have us trade places? I mean, you saw how I came to the wrong conclusions in the past ten minutes. I'd just botch it probably..."

For some reason, Makoto's self-depreciation made Kyoko irritated. However, she hid it, keeping her expression neutral as she leaned in Makoto's face, causing the Ultimate Lucky Student to stumble backwards in surprise.

"Don't go speaking so poorly of yourself; it doesn't suit you at all." Leaning away from him, Kyoko softened her gaze and continued in a calmer tone "You shouldn't sell yourself so short, Makoto. You've proven during the past three trials that you have the capabilities to solve these cases. All anyone else has done is nudge you in the right direction, me included. None of your conclusions in this investigation were illogical, just incomplete." Smiling, she assured "You'll do fine on your own. Just have faith in yourself, and I believe you'll see us through this trial, just like you have through all the others."

Eyes brimming with happy tears, he nodded and turned to leave the room, leaving Kyoko and Aoi alone in the rec room.

XXX

"So Makoto, how's your investigation going?"

Kyoko wasted no time as Makoto walked in the door, returning from his investigation. Makoto explained how Sakura had asked to see Byakuya, Yasuhiro, and Toko before she died, and how all three claimed to have not gone to see her.

"I see...So along with Byakuya, they're both claiming they didn't go see her. But it's all too convenient. Someone must be lying…"

Makoto nodded, filing the possibility away for further analysis during the trial.

"Well, I've made some progress of my own. Sakura's body, the shelf of magazines, and the Monokuma Bottles. These three things have revealed new clues. You'd do well to look them over one more time."

Makoto went over to Sakura's body, staring hat her corpse for anything he might have missed.

 _What am I overlooking?_

Seeing Makoto's confusion, Kyoko teased "Just staring into space isn't going to help you figure anything out."

 _This feels like Chihiro's trial all over again..._ Makoto flashed back as he nodded and replied "I know. But..."

"Don't you think you might need to actually examine the body?"

 _Do I really have to…_

"There's no getting around it." Kyoko advised, as if reading his mind.

She grabbed his wrist as she walked them up to Sakura's corpse corpse, Makoto becoming uneasy. Though he had become used to seeing Kyoko handle dead bodies in the past, he himself cringed at the sight of them.

"I can't believe how calm you are. No matter how many times I see a dead body, I can't get used to it..."

Eyes swimming with understanding and sympathy, Kyoko assured "That's totally normal."

"Then...how can you…?"

Pondering for a moment, Kyoko replied "I imagine it's because I've had plenty of opportunities to touch dead bodies in the past." _What was I? What's my talent?_

"What?"

Shaking her head at Makoto's concern, she replied "Sorry, never mind. More importantly, look here…" Gesturing towards Sakura's shoes, she asked "You see that yellow powder on her instep? That powder is clue number one. Next is the wound to her head. Look carefully...Actually even telling you that, it's incredibly difficult to spot. So let me just explain...It would appear that she didn't suffer a single blow...but instead, received two blows to the head."

"Two blows…?"

Nodding, Kyoko commented "Interesting, wouldn't you say? And there's one more interesting thing...Both of her hands were spotless. There's absolutely no trace of blood on either one. So, that's what I learned from examining her body in detail."

Nodding, Makoto made his way toward the counter of Monokuma bottles, remembering that Kyoko mentioned something about another clue she found.

 _Something new...Something new…_

"So? Did you figure it out? There's a hidden correlation between all the bottles. Pay careful attention and you're sure to find it."

Makoto wracked his brain for anything that could link the bottles together, but came up empty. Frustrated, he turned to Kyoko to ask her for the answer. As usual, Kyoko cryptically shook her head.

"I don't mind guiding you toward clues, but giving you my conclusion isn't a good idea. Each person needs to come to their own conclusions, so that everyone can have confidence in the outcome."

 _Is that why you've been so cryptic in the past trials? Or is it…_ "And it's not just because you don't trust me...right?"

Kyoko's eyes softened, getting the feeling that her giving him the cold shoulder contributed to his insecurities. While it was true that she didn't trust anybody completely, she trusted Makoto with more than she trusted anyone else. She lay her hand on his shoulder, deciding to tell him the truth.

"I do trust you, to a degree. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you anything to begin with."

 _Only to a degree…?_

Makoto wasn't sure to feel complimented or saddened. He wanted Kyoko to trust him completely, but he knew from experience that for her to trust at all wasn't something to take for granted. He steeled his emotions, deciding that solving this case was more important than his insecurities about Kyoko's feelings at the moment.

"Actually, there's one other thing about the Monokuma bottles that's bothering me...I'd like to do an experiment to confirm it. You don't mind helping me, right?"

"An experiment...?" _What kind of experiment could she possibly be planning?_

Kyoko explained "Can you gather up all the pieces of the broken Monokuma bottle? Try to get the smaller pieces, too."

 _But...that's tampering!_ "Are you sure it's okay to mess with the crime scene like that…?"

Kyoko waved off his concern, explaining "I've already done a thorough investigation, so it's fine. And that obnoxious Byakuya's not here, so...Anyway, I need to get something from the chem lab. While I'm gone, try to gather up all the glass."

Before he could respond, Kyoko ran out the door, leaving him alone with Aoi. Sighing, he picked up a nearby broom and dustpan and went to work.

 _So much for being stuck on guard duty…_

It wasn't long after he finished that Kyoko returned with a grey scale in hand.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Is everything ready? Then let's get to work."

"So...what kind of experiment are we doing?"

"I got a scale from the chem lab. We're going to use it to compare weights." When Makoto asked what they were going to compare, she replied "The pieces of glass you collected, and one of the Monokuma Bottles that's still intact."

Confused, Makoto asked "Why do you want to do that…?"

"That's the point of the experiment. It'll make sense when we're done." Setting the scale on the shogi table, she started "First, let's compare the weight of two of the normal Monokuma Bottles." Makoto found that the two bottles were essentially balanced in weight, leading Kyoko to conclude "Which means, each Monokuma Bottle weighs about the same." Seeing MAkoto nod in understanding, Kyoko continued "Now, here comes the important part...Put all the pieces you picked up on one side of the scale. Now, what might we expect to see?"

Makoto hypothesized that either the result would be the same, or the pieces he collected would be lighter, since it was possible he could have missed some along the way.

"Okay, then let's give it a try."

To his shock though, the broken pieces were heavier than the complete bottle.

 _How is this even possible?!_

"Just as I thought…"

 _Wait...you knew this was going to happen?_

"The results of our experiment, and the correlation between each of the bottles - put it all together...and I believe you will arrive at one very persuasive conclusion. So? What do you think? It's all on you."

 _No pressure, Kyoko…_

Moving on, Makoto moved on to the magazine rack. This time however, he didn't need Kyoko to point it out; he spotted a magazine upside down on the rack.

 _But why is that significant?_

"If something catches your eye, it's important for you to explore that in detail, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're right..."

Makoto opened the magazine, and was shocked to find the name Toko written on the inside in blood.

Peering over his shoulder, Kyoko remarked "Then it would appear you've found it."

Makoto trembled, flashing back to Sayaka's trial, as he stammered "Kyoko...is this..."

Concerned with how he was starting to lose it, Kyoko grabbed him by the shoulders and urged "Makoto, calm down."

Makoto took a deep breath and felt his panic ebbing away, making them both sigh in relief that Makoto could think logically again.

"It is indeed a dying message. Someone used their finger to write it."

 _Then...did you…_

As if reading his mind, Kyoko said "But just to be clear, I'm not the one who put it back upside down. It was already like that when I found it a little while ago. I made sure to put it back exactly as I found it, for the benefit of others who might come looking."

Aoi spotted the dying message and concluded with gusto that Toko must be the killer then, but Makoto and Kyoko weren't so easily convinced.

 _It's too easy. And besides, Sayaka's dying message was written when her wound was so obviously fatal. But in Sakura's case, we're not entirely sure what killed her. So we can't point the finger at Toko yet…_

Their contemplation was interrupted by Monokuma's announcement that it was time for the trial to start. Makoto lamented that they hadn't solved the mystery of the closed room yet, and that it would have to play out at the trial. All three taking one last look at Sakura's corpse, they filed out of the rec room.

XXX

It wasn't long before Monokuma burst into the lobby, exclaiming with glee about the case, and ocnfusing everyone by grinning and winking.

Even Kyoko was thrown off guard as she exclaimed "What the…?"

"Oh, I've just recently discovered the power...of emoticons!"

 _Emoticons? Looks more like you're trying really hard to make a face…_

Makoto and Kyoko did his best to ignore him until he disappeared, leaving the remaining six Ultimates alone. Aoi seethed as she walked in the elevator, with Byakuya, Toko, and Yasuhiro following behind her.

"Standing around here isn't going to do any good. Let's get going."

Nodding, Makoto followed Kyoko into the elevator, dread once again filling everyone inside as they waited for the elevator to take them to the trial.

XXX

Aoi wasted no time pointing the finger at Byakuya, Toko, and Yasuhiro again. All three claimed that they never went to see her, but Yasuhiro stumbled after Makoto brought up the candy wrapper that he dropped and Aoi identified it from the candy she gave to Sakura. Yasuhiro tried to claim that he got it before the incident, but this only made him more suspicious.

 _Wait...Sakura only got it after the incident. That means...I got it!_

Makoto brought up that Sakura only got that candy after the incident, causing Yasuhiro to curse his stupidity. Recovering, Yasuhiro revised that he did go talk to her, but insisted that was it. He then claimed that Toko murdered Sakura, bringing up Sakura's dying message in the magazine. This however raised Kyoko's suspicions.

"Hiro, hold on...When did you see that dying message of hers?"

Caught off guard, Yasuhiro stammered it was when they found Sakura's body, only for Kyoko to shake her head.

"But if you recall, Hina was very adamant about keeping you away from the scene of the crime. So it's hard to believe that's when you actually saw the message for yourself."

 _She's right...Hold on...But when Kyoko found the magazine with the dying message in it, it was...I got it!_ "Kyoko, you found the magazine on the magazine shelf, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko confirmed "That's right. Looking through the shelf, I found the magazine with the dying message on it. I found it right there at the scene of the crime, after we'd started the investigation."

Makoto concluded that what Yasuhiro said wouldn't make sense if that was true, causing the Ultimate Clairvoyant to angrily insist that he was making perfect sense.

"I can tell you exactly when I found the dying message...When Ogre's body was discovered!"

Shaking her head, Kyoko retorted "And I can tell you when I found the dying message...It was only after the investigation had begun. I found the magazine tucked away on the magazine shelf...When I pulled it out, I saw her final words."

 _No, there's definitely something wrong with what Yasuhiro said...wait...what Kyoko said!_

Makoto asserted that the magazine had only been found after the investigation had begun, and since he was barred from the murder scene, there was no way Yasuhiro could have seen it then like he claimed. Yasuhiro tried to divert the conversation by insisting they were focusing on the wrong part, but this only made him more suspicious.

It was then that Kyoko chimed in "Actually, can we even be sure Sakura wrote that message in the first place?"

Eyes blazing, Yasuhiro angrily yelled that he was completely sure Sakura wrote it. This rant of his continued for a good couple of minutes, until Makoto calmly brought up that Sakura's hands were completely free of blood.

When Aoi wondered who did write it, Kyoko hypothesized "Hiro could very well have written it himself. That would explain how he knew about the message in the first place." Realizing he was caught, Yasuhiro confessed to having faked the dying message, leading Kyoko to conclude "I figured as much."

Yasuhiro went on to explain that he went to the rec room to meet Sakura and, mistaking her muttering for an intent to kill, conked her on the head with a Monokuma Bottle, wrote Toko's name in the magazine, and fled as fast as he could. Yasuhiro resigned to his fate, but when Aoi called for his death, Kyoko shook her head in skepticism.

"No, I think there's more to Hiro's story…" At Aoi's angry confusion as to what she was talking about, Kyoko elaborated "There's one thing that Hiro's story just now doesn't explain. And until we figure that part out, we can't consider the case closed."

 _What Yasuhiro did that doesn't make sense...wait, why the magazine was hidden...I got it!_

Yasuhiro expressed confusion at Makoto's claim that the magazine was hidden on the shelf, insisting that it was just sitting out in the open. Toko insisted he was lying, but Kyoko shook her head.

"I don't see any reason he would lie now, after already confessing to the crime…" Byakuya hypothesized that someone else must have been in the rec room and put the magazine on the shelf, to which Kyoko confirmed "I don't think there's any question about that." When Aoi wondered who put the magazine back, Kyoko replied "If they went to the trouble of hiding the magazine...they must not have liked what was written on it."

 _There's only one choice...Toko's name was written in it...I got it!_

Aoi asked if Toko really went to the rec room, causing her to sweat and panic. She claimed that it didn't matter since Yasuhiro already confessed to killing Sakura. Yasuhiro agreed, but Makoto refuted them, making Aoi ask what he meant.

"What he means is that Hiro isn't the killer." Despite Toko's objections, Kyoko gently insisted "Hiro, tell us what happened one more time. If we go through it once more, it should become clear he's not Sakura's killer."

Confused, Yasuhiro asked "What do you want me to do?"

"Just tell us what happened one more time, when you attacked Sakura."

Nodding, Yasuhiro reiterated that he grabbed a Monokuma Bottle from the shelf and hit Sakura from behind before she could defend herself.

"You hit her from behind...And you only hit her once, is that right?"

"Yeah, just once..."

 _Wait, but she had two wounds._ "That doesn't explain why she had two head wounds."

"Two…?"

Nodding in confirmation, Kyoko explained "That's right. She had two separate wounds on her head." At Yasuhiro's confusion, Kyoko explained "Two wounds means she was struck twice. What's more, both attacks must have come from a Monokuma Bottle." When Toko challenged how Kyoko could know that just from the head wounds, Kyoko replied "It's not just because of her head wounds. It's also because of the Monokuma Bottles themselves. There's something very suspicious about those bottles...Once you understand that point, you'll understand why two separate Monokuma Bottles must have been used. Think back...after the incident, there were 4 Monokuma Bottles left on the shelf, right? And we found pieces of a bottle on the ground, along with the chess piece it had inside."

"That was the bottle Hiro hit Sakura with, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko continued "For now, just note that there were four intact bottles, and one broken bottle. But originally, there were six bottles in total. Meaning one has gone missing." Toko stammered, asking how Kyoko could know that there were six bottles, causing Kyoko to answer "That's easy. If you look at what the bottles all had in common, it should become clear."

 _Wait...The correlation between the Monokuma Bottles...It must have to do with what was inside. Let's see, there were six bottle, each one having a different piece. Wait a minute..a chess piece. Now I understand!_

Makoto revealed that each bottle had a chess piece inside, and that broken bottle they found contained the knight.

"So? What's that m-matter?"

Kyoko shook her head at Toko's stammering and replied "I guess you don't know too much about chess, do you? Then let me explain...In chess, there are six different pieces - the king, the queen, the rook, knight, bishop, and pawn. What was left intact at the crime scene were the king, rook, bishop, and pawn...just those four. And on the ground was the knight."

Makoto concluded that one bottle went missing, but Toko still questioned what chess had to do with the case, claiming that it could have disappeared before the murder.

"No, it's clear that the missing bottle is connected to this case. Think about what state the missing bottle must have been in. Maybe then you'll understand."

 _Then the bottle that was missing...I got it!_ "The bottle must have been broken." When Toko demanded evidence, Makoto thought to himself _The evidence that proves that is...I got it!_

Makoto brought up the experiment that he and Kyoko did with the scale from the chem lab. Byakuya growled at being disobeyed, but otherwise said nothing. Makoto revealed that the broken pieces outweighed one intact bottle, which meant that there was more than one bottle's worth of broken glass.

"So from this, we can surmise that two bottles were actually broken at the scene of the crime. But someone did their best to clean up the pieces of one of the bottles, along with the figure inside. But when they did, they must have left behind a few too many pieces. Which is only natural. They certainly had no way to measure the exact right number of pieces to remove."

Aoi wondered why someone would try to get rid of it, and Makoto concluded "Because of what it would reveal about the case..." _That bottle must have been used by...I got it!_

Makoto hypothesized that the second bottle was used to attack Sakura.

"The second wound on Sakura's head came from that second bottle. Given all the evidence, this is the only possible conclusion."

"The killer wanted to make it look like there was only one attack, so they had to get rid of their evidence" Makoto continued.

"From there, we can conclude that it wasn't Hiro who delivered that second blow. Wouldn't you agree, Toko?" As Toko cringed, Kyoko continued "And there's the matter of the magazine. You must have been in the rec room when the incident took place."

Toko and Yasuhiro soon started pointing fingers at each other, with Yasuhiro sharing that he saw Toko go into the rec room, but that she had disappeared when he went in. Toko emphatically denied going into the rec room, and Kyoko intervened.

"I'm sure she didn't disappear, but maybe she found somewhere to hide…"

Toko continued to emphatically deny going into the rec room, her stammering so bad she was almost incoherent. However, she was stunned into silence when Makoto brought up the handprint he found inside the locker.

"Does this handprint look familiar, Toko?"

Toko stammered a denial, but Kyoko interjected "Okay then, let's just compare it to your hand, shall we? That'll clear everything up, right?"

Toko hesitated, but at Byakuya's command, she admitted that it was her handprint and that she may have killed Sakura.

 _Just like that?_

Gently, Kyoko pressed "Give us the details, Toko. What happened between you and Sakura?"

Toko admitted that she saw everything between Sakura and Yasuhiro from the locker, then after Sakura was unconscious popped out and hid the magazine. She then revealed that she fainted after seeing Sakura's bloody face when she woke up.

"If you want to know m-more, you'll have to ask...her."

She then sneezed, signaling the transition to Genocide Jack, who after an overly dramatic introduction, revealed that she and Toko don't share memories, and that when she woke up to Sakura's bloody face, she grabbed a Monokuma Bottle and smacked Sakura over the head with it.

"And when it was all over, you collected the pieces of the bottle to get rid of the evidence, didn't you?" Kyoko asserted.

After a playful argument with Byakuya, Genocide Jack lamented that she was unlucky since Sakura should have been able to dodge her no problem.

 _...Isn't unlucky my thing..._ Makoto thought dryly as he watched the scene play out.

"Even as strong as she is, she must have still been reeling from Hiro's attack."

To Makoto's surprise, Aoi called for the vote, only for Byakuya to object, saying that part of Toko's story didn't make sense. Makoto realized that the second attack still didn't account for how Sakura got into the chair that she died in. Makoto brought up the bloodstain in front of the shelf as proof that the second attack occurred outside of the chair. Yasuhiro accused Genocide Jack of moving her back to the chair in order to frame him, only for the serial killer to object that she couldn't have moved Sakura's body on her own. Byakuya concluded that the case hadn't ended yet.

As Aoi opened her mouth to object, Kyoko added "Plus, the biggest mystery of all - the locked room - still has yet to be explained. Until we take care of that, we can't say this case has been properly settled."

Aoi argued that Genocide Jack just hid in the locker after killing Sakura. Yasuhiro agreed with that, but Makoto thought otherwise.

 _Kyoko corrected me on this very detail...This time I got it!_

Makoto revealed that when he looked inside the rec room window before breaking it, he saw that the locker was wide open, so Toko couldn't have been hiding in there when they broke inside. With Genocide Jack seemingly exonerated, Yasuhiro concluded that Sakura didn't die from either wound on the head. Aoi insisted that nothing else could have killed her, but Makoto brought up the vomited blood from Sakura's mouth.

Aoi suggested that Sakura cut the inside of her mouth when she got hit with the bottles, only for Kyoko to refute "If that's all it was, the file wouldn't have specified vomited blood. Not to mention, I didn't find any cuts inside her mouth."

Genocide Jack cackled and exclaimed "You even checked in there?! God, you really ARE into dead bodies!"

Makoto felt some slight irritation at Jack's remark, but before he could interject, Kyoko replied "No, I'm not into dead bodies. What I'm into is solving mysteries."

It was then that Byakuya dropped the biggest bombshell of the night so far; Sakura was poisoned. He then produced a dark, clear jug with CHEM C-9 printed on it. Makoto asked if he found it in section A of the chem lab, which Byakuya all but confirmed when he hypothesized that the culprit switched it with a nutrient from section A.

What Byakuya did next shocked everyone; he drank nearly all of the poison. Everyone panicked, until they saw that Byakuya's only reaction was disgust at the taste of the liquid.

Intrigued, Kyoko asked "Can I see that bottle for a second?" Nodding, Byakuya handed her the bottle, and after sticking her gloved finger in it and tasting some of the residue, she concluded "This is...It's protein powder."

 _Wait...so if the protein powder was in the poison container, then the poison must have been inside the...now I understand!_

Makoto concluded that the poison was inside Sakura's protein drink, which Byakuya agreed with. Debate then turned to who the suspect was, and after Makoto and Byakuya brought up the footprints left in the chem lab, Aoi dropped the most shocking bombshell yet.

"It was me."

Still shocked, Makoto could barely keep focused as Byakuya explained that only someone wearing sneakers could be the culprit, and since Makoto's footprints didn't match, that only left Aoi. She started to confess to what happened, but Kyoko was a little bit skeptical.

"Hold it! I'm not convinced…" _Something's not right. I can't put my finger on it, but this still seems a little off…_

Byakuya scoffed, ranting about how everyone was in it for themselves in this game, so the fact that Sakura and Aoi were close meant nothing.

Kyoko shook her head and said "You say that, but I'm still not convinced."

Byakuya sighed, annoyed and asked "How many times do you plan to repeat yourself?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying it because of some misguided sentimentalism. But there's still that one unsolved mystery, and I'm still not convinced."

Makoto caught on and asked "Are you talking about the locked room problem?" _That has to be the only mystery left unsolved, and it's the most important part!_

 _Very good, Makoto…_ "Hina...if you really are the killer, explain it. How did you create that locked room?"

Aoi, stumped by Kyoko's question, yelled "Just cuz I'm guilty, that means I have to tell you everything?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko answered "No, it doesn't. But the fact that you won't tell us concerns me." Byakuya expressed disbelief at Kyoko's belief that Aoi could be innocent, to which she replied "And if I do?"

Byakuya exclaimed that the facts left no room for doubt, but Makoto was unconvinced, raising the point that the footprints were too obvious of a clue.

"He's right. It makes it look like you wanted people to suspect you." Aoi tried to defend that she was so nervous, she didn't leave a footprint, leaving Kyoko to press "...You didn't notice?" As Aoi insisted that was how things played out, Kyoko gently asked "Listen Hina...Could you go into a bit more detail? Tell us more about when you switched the poison and the protein."

Aoi tried to refuse, but caved after Makoto asked her to, leaving Byakuya to scoff at how he thought the two of them were wasting their time.

"Go ahead, Hina. Start from the moment you arrived at the chem lab."

"Right away I went to section C, and got the poison" Aoi started.

"And is that when you spilled the powder in front of that part of the shelf?"

Aoi nodded and explained that she accidentally dropped the bottle when she opened it.

Nodding, Kyoko replied "I see. Okay then, go on."

Aoi then explained that she went to section A to get the protein powder and switched it with the poison, then left with the protein can containing poison. This series of events however, left Makoto confused, and he asked her over Byakuya and Jack's objections to repeat her account one more time. Aoi explained how she went to section C and grabbed the poison.

"And you spilled some of the powder on the ground in front of the shelf."

Nodding at Kyoko's conclusion, Aoi then continued that she dropped the bottle when she grabbed it.

Nodding, Kyoko pressed "Okay, and then…?"

"I moved from section C to section A..."

 _Wait a minute, that doesn't match up. The footprints were only in front of section A. Her account is false!_

Makoto raised the point that the footprints in the chem lab clearly contradicted Aoi's account, leaving Aoi and Byakuya shocked. When Byakuya demanded an explanation, Aoi stammered, unable to come up with an answer.

Kyoko turned her glare on Aoi and accused "You lied to us, plain and simple. If you look at the footprints, your movements in the chem lab are obvious. The powder had already been spilled when you came in, and you went straight to section A. So you never went to section C. Whatever you did there, it only involved section A."

Byakuya expressed shock, not used to having his logical conclusions turned upside down. Kyoko smirked at seeing the Ultimate Affluent Progeny knocked off his high horse. Even Makoto couldn't help but smile inside at seeing the braggart so silent. But the case wasn't over, so Kyoko continued with her explanation.

"And the footprints aren't the only problem with her account. Before I explain that part, I'd like to submit some new evidence."

Byakuya's eye twitched as he roared that she couldn't have procured new evidence. Makoto, though a little irked that she hadn't shared it with him, knew better than to question Kyoko's assertions.

Addressing Byakuya, she retorted "...Are you sure? After all, you're the one who gave it to me."

Byakuya and Makoto's jaws dropped at this revelation as Makoto thought _That explains why she didn't tell me; she only had it a few minutes ago. Could it have been the poison bottle?_

As if reading Makoto's mind, Kyoko revealed "It was hidden inside the bottle of poison you gave me. I'm amazed you of all people would miss such a vital clue. A truly grave oversight…"

Beyond annoyed, Byakuya roared "Just say it already! What is it you think you found!?"

"I found this." She held out a piece of glass as she explained "It had sunk to the bottom of the bottle. And the hidden clue was exposed thanks to you ingesting the powder. I couldn't have solved the mystery without you. So, thank you for that." As Byakuya stammered and wondered what it was, Kyoko replied "Oh, you still don't realize? Well then...Makoto, why don't you explain it?"

"Huh? Me!?"

Makoto's nervousness wasn't helped by Byakuya's loud demands for answers.

 _No pressure, Kyoko. The shard of glass in the bottle...I got it!_

Makoto deduced that it was from the rec room window, just like the glass around and underneath the protein can.

Nodding, Kyoko replied "You're right, it must be. Of course, that leads to another question. How did a shard of glass from the window get inside this bottle of poison?"

 _What's strange is what Aoi told us. That means her account about switching the poison and protein is a lie. I got it!_

Makoto proceeded to deduce that the poison bottle was there until they all broke in, exposing the hole in Aoi's account.

"And then, once the room was opened, the bottle somehow got moved back to the shelf in the chem lab. Meanwhile, the protein can we found at the crime scene was planted there. That had to be after the locked room was opened. In other words, after Sakura died."

For once, Byakuya found himself being left in the dust with Kyoko's deduction, and wondered how she got poisoned if the protein can wasn't even there when she died.

Closing her eyes, Kyoko conceded "You're right. We do need to explain that. But before we do, there's something I'd like to confirm with everyone here. It has to do with the protein can. After Sakura's body was discovered, did anyone move it or trip over it or anything like that?" Byakuya demanded to know if it was a loaded question, to which Kyoko shook her head in amusement and assured "Not at all. Just answer to the best of your ability." After everyone answered in the negative, Kyoko concluded "Okay then, that settles it. That proves that the protein can found its way to the murder scene after the room was opened."

Byakuya's fists clenched as he roared how she could make such a claim, making Kyoko smile at his uncharacteristic short temperedness.

"When it comes to that protein can...there's not a doubt in my mind. Until the locked room was unlocked...it absolutely was not in there!"

Byakuya was in denial, shaking his head and insisting that it had to have been there before the room was unlocked.

 _No, that's wrong. And I know what proves it!_

Makoto explained that the glass from the rec room window was also scattered under the protein can, which proved that the can was laced in the room after the window had been broken. Byakuya had no choice but to concede.

"Kyoko...earlier, when you asked if anyone had moved the can, or tripped over it..."

"If that were the case, that would explain the can being on top of the glass" Kyoko finished.

"So you asked everyone about it to eliminate that possibility right out of the gate..." Makoto theorized.

Smiling, Kyoko continued "And that's made everything clear, hasn't it? As long as it was a locked room, it only contained the bottle of poison, and not the protein can. But once the room was opened up, they were switched. And as a result...the protein can wound up in the rec room, and the bottle of poison returned to the chem lab."

Byakuya, confused even more, asked why she drank the poison then, still under the belief that she was tricked into drinking the poison.

 _...I think I know why. It's not something I prefer to think about though…_ Makoto gulped as he concluded "The only explanation is...she drank it from its original bottle, knowing exactly what it was."

Kyoko confirmed "Precisely. She was alone in a locked room. All she had was the poison. What other possibility is there?"

Aghast, Byakuya exclaimed "Such a ridiculous fiction is..."

"...exactly what happened."

For the first time in his life, Byakuya nicely asked her to please tell him what happened.

"Before we get to that, we need to clarify one other thing...We need to establish who exactly got the poison from the chem lab and took it to the rec room." Seeing that Yasuhiro was still under the flawed theory that Aoi was the culprit, she turned to Makoto and asked "What do you think, Makoto?"

 _It had to have been...I got it!_ "It was Sakura herself."

Everyone except for Makoto and Kyoko were shocked, and Makoto felt ill for even suggesting it, but couldn't find another explanation. Aoi angrily retorted that there was no way, only to be refuted by Kyoko.

"On the contrary. We know for a fact she went to the chem lab, right to the section full of poisons."

Aoi angrily yelled at Kyoko to stop lying, exclaiming that she was wrong. Makoto felt a twinge of anger when Aoi exclaimed she hated him and Kyoko, but buried it, understanding that she was lashing out. Makoto eventually silenced her when he brought up the yellow powder on Sakura's shoe, hypothesizing that Sakura was the one who dropped it when she went to the chem lab.

Bouncing off of Makoto's theory, Kyoko posed "But why did Sakura pay a visit to section C in the first place? The only explanation is that she was looking for poison. After all, that's all that section contained."

Makoto then dropped the biggest bombshell of them all; Sakura had killed herself. Everyone save for Kyoko expressed disbelief, but Makoto explained that she had barricaded herself in the room, creating the locked room herself.

"I'm sure she locked herself in so nobody could stop her from doing what she did. She sat there, drank the poison, and breathed her last breath...And the empty bottle of poison rolled around the locked room, until we came and opened it. At that point, someone grabbed the bottle and snuck it out of the room. And that was you, wasn't it Hina?" At Aoi's silence, Kyoko continued "You did it to throw off the investigation, didn't you? When we found her body, you stayed right there near the door. Because you already knew Sakura was dead...and because the bottle of poison had rolled near the doorway."

"I was too shocked to notice anything, and Kyoko was too busy checking the body..." Makoto reflected.

"And the more I think about it, the more I realize how unusual your actions were." Kyoko explained "You said you were going to go get everyone else...but your real action was to go to the chem lab and switch out the containers, wasn't it? Once you were at the chem lab, you headed straight to the section where the protein powder was kept. There, you took the powder and poured it into the bottle of poison you'd grabbed from the rec room. When you left the lab, all you had was the empty protein can. Thinking about it like that, the footprints make perfect sense."

"When you were done, you gathered everyone together, and once you were back in the rec room...While everyone else was focused on Sakura, you quietly placed the can on the ground" Makoto concluded, lamenting on how he should have noticed it earlier.

 _The blame doesn't rest solely with you. We all should have noticed earlier…_ Shaking her head to banish the lamentation for the time being, Kyoko said "So, Sakura committed suicide. In order to hide this fact, Hina undertook a series of actions to undermine the investigation. As long as you could disguise the truth, you didn't care if we blamed you for her death. That's why you didn't bother to get rid of such obvious evidence, right? The footprints in the powder, and the bottle of poison. Vital pieces of evidence, and yet…"

Byakuya expressed surprise at Aoi's scheme, and Aoi for her part angrily insisted that she killed Sakura and that it wasn't over.

 _Let's end it...this has to stop, Aoi!_

Makoto proceeded to recap everything that happened from Sakura's attempts to speak with the others to Aoi's attempts to direct the trial to a false conclusion.

XXX

Aoi was sobbing, having lost any hope of keeping her scheme under wraps. Byakuya, not for the first time today, was aghast and shellshocked.

"That's...what happened? But...Makoto, how did you - ? How did you manage to - ? How were you able to uncover the truth...that even I couldn't discern!?"

 _It's not that hard to discern once you put the pieces together, Byakuya…_ Kyoko interjected "You still haven't realized? We don't all act according to calculations and cost-benefit diagrams. That's what makes us so complicated. That's what you don't understand, and that's why you couldn't solve this case."

Byakuya could only grunt in shock at the simplistic answer that had eluded his brain.

Kyoko chastised "See? Didn't I tell you? When you dismiss other people's feelings, it'll always come back to bite you in the end."

Monokuma then interrupted the conversation, reminding them that it was time for them to vote.

"Oh yeah...that's right…"

 _You forgot?_

Makoto facepalmed as Monokuma became depressed at Kyoko having apparently forgotten about the need to vote.

XXX

Sakura ended up being voted the guilty party, seeing as she had taken her own life. When Byakuya demanded to know why Aoi had gone so far, she held up a suicide note and said it was written by Sakura. She sobbed that since everyone had pushed her away when all Sakura had wanted to do was be friends with everybody, that they all had murdered her and that they all had to atone for their sins by dying.

"Oh my god..." Makoto gasped. "You set us up so that we'd all go down with you!"

Byakuya seethed, Aoi stared at everyone with rage, and Yasuhiro stared at the ground in guilt. It was then that Monokuma interjected, holding up the real suicide note from Sakura and revealing that the one in Aoi's hands was a fake. Everyone froze, this revelation even stunning Kyoko, though she kept her neutral mask.

"You filthy little…!"

Sensing the anger rise in Makoto, she laid her hand on his shoulder to calm him down before asking Monokuma "So then, what did she write in her real suicide note?" When Monokuma started becoming philosophical about the point of final suicide notes, Kyoko tapped her foot in irritation at the bear's antics, gritting her teeth and growling "Could you get on with it, please?"

Monokuma obliged, revealing that he had taken her family dojo hostage unless she agreed to murder at his command, and that Sakura had decided to take her own life because she couldn't stomach the thought of killing one of her friends anymore. He also revealed her additional motivation of trying to keep the group united and using her death to atone for having served as the mole for the mastermind.

Aoi sobbed "She wanted to...stop us from fighting? To protect us?"

Nodding in confirmation, Kyoko said "She didn't end her own life because she was weak. Quite the opposite in fact...She was strong. Too strong. That's why she killed herself. She chose death for herself in order to protect the rest of us. To sacrifice so much...No normal person could do that. It was only her limitless strength that made it possible."

Monokuma started taunting about how Sakura's goodwill was all for nothing after Aoi enacted her scheme to have everyone else executed. That was the last straw for Makoto, who yelled that Sakura's death wasn't a waste. Yasuhiro concurred, declaring that he didn't blame Sakura or Aoi. Monokuma stood aghast, seeing his plan to tear the dwindling survivors apart come crashing down like a house of cards. He looked to Byakuya, his last hope, who declared that the only way to survive was to win since those were the rules.

 _Seriously, Byakuya? AFter all this, you still intend to keep going like this is just a game?_

"Keep watching; things may turn out differently than you think..." Kyoko whispered in Makoto's ear, convincing him to cool his temper.

What Byakuya said next shocked everyone else in the room; "Which is why...I am bowing out of the game."

 _Huh?_

Kyoko smiled and Makoto beamed as Byakuya went on to explain "Sakura and Hina were both willing to sacrifice their lives to deny the reality of this game. Thanks to them, it would appear the others have cast aside their fear for this game. There's no point in participating in a game which has lost that sense of excitement."

 _...Not exactly the reason I was hoping for, but I'll take it!_

Monokuma seethed with anger as Kyoko smirked at the sadistic bear in victory and taunted "Well? Now can you say that Sakura's death had no meaning?"

XXX

Monokuma still had one last trick up his sleeve though; he had captured Alter Ego and proceeded to use an excavator to turn the laptop into a ball of scrap metal and decorate it with his face.

"So...you finally noticed him. I assume you knew then; what he was up to..."

Monokuma cackled and revealed that he knew all along what Chihiro had been up to, and had only resorted to execution when Alter Ego had attempted to break into the network. Makoto roared that Monokuma would pay for what he had done, only for the bear to wave him off and announce that it was time to read the post-script.

"Post script…?"

Monokuma started to read more of Sakura's suicide note, only to stop in the middle to everyone's dismay, refusing to recite a passage that apparently had some vital information. He taunted them, refusing to hand over the note, then continued to skim down the note until one line caught his interest.

"What is it now…?"

Monokuma read Sakura's final declaration that she would fight against the mastermind, then disappeared from sight. Aoi turned to everyone and apologized for her actions, leading Byakuya to offer the closest thing to a statement of forgiveness. It would have been touching if Genocide Jack hadn't reacted with jealousy, leading Aoi to claim she didn't want a sleazeball like Byakuya. This however make Byakuya angry at her and started another argument between the three as Makoto, Yasuhiro, and Kyoko watched with exhaustion. Eventually they headed back to the elevator and went back to their rooms, too mentally drained to even think about eating dinner.

XXX

Kyoko rang the doorbell, standing outside of Makoto's room. She waited, but no answer came from the other side.

 _Can't say I didn't expect this, given what time it is…_

Not sure what she was thinking, she turned the doorknob and, to her surprise, it opened, revealing Makoto's room.

 _He didn't even lock his own door? What's he thinking?_

Shaking her head, she entered, walking over to the sleeping Ultimate Lucky Student, lightly snoring in a fitful sleep.

 _He looks...cute…_

Shaking her head in amusement at her own thoughts, she patted his cheek with her right hand.

"Wake up. Makoto, wake up."

Makoto grunted, eyes barely open as he sat up, Kyoko stepping back as he tried to gain awareness of what was going on.

"Kyoko…?"

His voice was laced with drowsiness as he rubbed his eyes, trying to fully awaken.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and replied "Yes, it's me."

"Huh? Kyoko…?"

 _...I know he's still drowsy, but he should know that I'm here._ Her voice slightly irritated, she reiterated "I said yes…"

"So Kyoko's here..." Makoto's eyes widened as he exclaimed "Wait, what!?"

In his shock, Makoto rolled off the bed, landing right in front of Kyoko's feet. The entire lower half of his body was wrapped up in his blanket, giving off the impression of a caterpillar half-encased in a cocoon. Makoto looked at the floor, his cheeks red from embarrassment, while Kyoko giggled into her palm at Makoto's antics. Eventually she crouched and felt for one of the corners, starting to untangle the fabric from Makoto's body.

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

 _Isn't it obvious?_ "I'm here to wake you up."

"Wait, but my door - " _How did she get into my room in the first place?_

Kyoko replied matter of factly "It was unlocked. You're unbelievably careless."

Makoto's eyes bulged as he shrieked "It was unlocked!? Are you serious!?" _How did i not lock it?_

Answering the second question, Kyoko calmly relied "Always. And you don't have to overreact like that every time you're surprised."

Looking down in embarrassment, Makoto asked what time it was, to which Kyoko simply replied "3 o'clock. In the morning, of course."

 _3 A.M.!? Couldn't this have waited until breakfast?_

By this point, she had gotten him completely untangled. Offering her hand, he gratefully took it as he stood up.

Rubbing the last of his sleepiness from his eyes, Makoto asked "I-It's so late...What happened…?"

Kyoko paused, then admitted "I have a favor I need to ask…"

This piqued Makoto's interest as he reasoned _Whatever Kyoko's asking, it must be important if she's admitting she needs help._ "What's your favor…?"

"Remember what Sakura said at the end of her note? I'm not going to just lay down and die. I will fight you...I want to find out what she meant by that." She then leaned in his ear and whispered "The data center on the 4th floor. I'll meet you there."

She then turned on her heel and left, leaving Makoto to stand there and think _What the heck just happened?_

XXX

 _That's weird, no sign of Kyoko. I didn't just dream her coming into my room, right…_

Shaking his head, Makoto tried opening the Data Center door, only to find it was locked. Makoto yawned as he was fatigued, both from the draining trial, and from Kyoko having woken him up four hours early.

 _Why the heck did you even call me out here if the door was locked, Kyoko?_

"Oh ho! Well, if it isn't Mister Kumbaya himself. What are you doing up, mister?"

Makoto turned around to see Monokuma, who started ranting at him about how breaking inside a locked room was prohibited and how late it was.

 _Hey, it's not my fault I got woken up at 3 A.M…_

"...What's wrong now? Why are you out here making a racket?"

Makoto and Monokuma turned to see Kyoko approach them.

"K-Kyoko!?" _Finally! What took you so long?_

Exhausted, Monokuma roared "Go the eff to sleep!"

"...Sure, you got it. Come on, Makoto. Let's head back."

 _...That's it? Just like that, we're leaving? Then what was the point of coming here in the first place?_

When he didn't follow, Kyoko called "Didn't you hear me? We're leaving."

"I have no idea what's going on anymore..." Makoto lamented as he shuffled after her.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go."

The two went down the stairs, out of Monokuma's sight, Makoto feeling even more confused than when he woke up.

XXX

"So. Goodbye."

 _Okay, that's it. I need answers, and I need them now!_ "H-hold on!"

Kyoko turned around, surprised by Makoto's uncharacteristic straight forwardness. Sighing, she walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"...Don't worry about it. Well then...goodnight."

Makoto's shoulders sagged in defeat, sensing that Kyoko wasn't going to budge on this tonight. As he turned around, he jumped, feeling Kyoko's breath down his ear as she whispered a name to him.

"Mukuro Ikusaba."

"What?"

"Mukuro Ikusaba...The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school...The one they call the Ultimate Despair...Watch out for her."

This time, she turned around, walking to her room, and leaving Makoto in the hallway.

 _There. I've warned him of the danger. I just hope he truly has enough luck to avoid it. Stay safe, Makoto._


	6. Chapter Five: 100 Mile Dash

A/N: Finally, a shorter chapter than the last two. This one was less than 14,000 words. We're getting towards the end of this journey. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie

"Mukuro Ikusaba...The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school...The one they call the Ultimate Despair. Mukuro Ikusaba...Watch out for her."

Kyoko's words from the other night rang in Makoto's ears as he walked to the dining hall, becoming more and more frustrated with Kyoko's cryptic warning.

 _Okay, so I need to watch out for Mukuro Ikusaba. But I have no idea who she is or what she looks like. So even if she's the mastermind who trapped us here, I have no idea what to look for!_

Shaking his head, Makoto entered the dining hall to witness Byakuya making himself the de-facto leader and warning everyone not to engage in small talk. However, the self-proclaimed leader broke his own rule after the discussion turned to whether it was okay to keep Toko from talking by forbidding her from opening her mouth.

As the pointless and irrelevant debate continued, Kyoko commented "I believe this is the small talk Byakuya warned us against."

Irritated that he had broken his own rule, Byakuya scowled and walked off, the others following him to investigate the 5th floor.

XXX

Makoto walked into what looked like a classical dojo, complete with archery targets and old-fashioned wooden lockers. His gaze wandered to the sakura blooming in the practice range. The sight made him flashback to the memory of him and Komaru as children, playing under the sakura when their parents took them during viewing season. The memory made him feel even more homesick.

 _Mom, Dad, Komaru...I'll get out of here, I promise! Then we can all go sakura viewing again, for old times' sake…_

Kyoko softly smiled at his gaze and remarked "It's quite elegant."

Makoto looked at her, curious at her opinion as he contemplated _I'm not sure if they're elegant, but they're certainly nice to look at…_ "This is what you consider elegant…?" _It just seems too...natural to be considered elegant._

Seeing his curiosity, Kyoko explained "I lived overseas for a long time, so this kind of Japanese-style scenery is refreshing." _Why...do I think that? I still can't remember anything that would verify that, but...I just have this feeling…_

Makoto looked at her, nodding at her answer and pleased that she had shared some of her past with him, even if it was by accident.

 _She hardly ever shares anything about herself, so to share this part of her past, no matter how small...maybe she really does trust me…_

"The Ultimate Despair."

That thought ran through his head as he realized that he now had an opportunity to talk to her.

"Um, Kyoko..."

Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when she cut him off "I can't say anything…"

He followed her gaze and saw the security camera, realizing that the answer to his question must be important enough to not risk letting the mastermind find out.

"...You understand why, right?"

 _Yeah, I get it. But we gotta talk about it sometime. Can't you give me a hint for when we can talk about it?_

His inner frustrations didn't go unnoticed by the mysterious Ultimate, but although her eyes swam with apology, all she felt safe doing was uttering "We're finished here" with a finality that made Makoto turn around and walk out of the dojo.

 _...I'm sorry, Makoto._

XXX

Everyone was gathered in the dining hall to discuss what they had found on the 5th floor. It was Kyoko who spoke first.

"My concern is with the bio lab. That was the only place on the 5th floor that we couldn't access."

 _I feel like that's going to be important. Why can't we access the bio lab? What's the mastermind hiding in there?_

Aoi explained how she took Sakura's job of trying to remove the metal plates from the windows, but to no avail.

"Which means no chance of escape on the 5th floor, either…" Kyoko lamented.

Aoi also mentioned that she realized something about the layout of the school, which caught Makoto's interest as he asked her what she noticed.

Kyoko interjected "You took a good look around the 5th floor yourself, didn't you, Makoto?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

 _...How can someone be so mentally sharp and so dense all at the same time…_ Kyoko sighed and explained "Because if you did, you must have noticed. The 5th floor is lacking something every other floor has."

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized what she was talking about and asked "Are you talking about...stairs?"

Kyoko nodded and replied "We're finally starting to get a clear picture of this school."

Byakuya went next, bringing up the room he found that looked like a warzone, and theorized that a large number of people died in it.

"Perhaps that's what was meant by...the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history."

Byakuya hypothesized that the Tragedy was the mass genocide of the Hope's Peak student body. After Aoi and Yasuhiro expressed disgust and horror, the subject was dropped, since nobody wanted to even think about it. Yasuhiro spoke next, talking about the garden he found. Makoto turned his head to look at Yasuhiro when he mentioned the toolshed, interjecting to reveal the pickaxe he found with the phrase Crazy Diamond engraved on the handle. Aoi contemplated that the phrase sounded familiar to her.

"I don't just think, I know. We've definitely seen that phrase before."

Makoto's eyes widened as he and everyone else realized that it was also on Mondo's jacket. Yasuhiro interjected that he noticed the lawnmower and proposed that they use it to make crop circles in order to call for help. Everyone facepalmed at the Ultimate Clairvoyant's stupidity.

 _...That has to be the dumbest plan I've ever heard…_

Shaking the thought from his head, Makoto turned to see Toko's mouth twitching, as if she wanted to say something, but was holding back.

 _Oh yeah; I forgot Byakuya told her not to open her mouth._

After being reminded by Makoto and Yasuhiro, Byakuya allowed Toko to speak, and revealed that she found a knife on the 5th floor. Everyone contemplated what to do with it, since it was obviously asking for trouble to let Toko keep it.

Kyoko looked ot Makoto and gently suggested "Why don't you hang on to it, Makoto?"

"Huh? Me!?"

 _Yes you. Your innocence was already proven at the first trial. And...I trust you._

After everyone expressed trust in Makoto, he reluctantly agreed, and the knife was passed into his hands.

With that matter settled, Byakuya made the most disturbing demand; that Kyoko unveil to them who she really was. Aoi tried to defend that Kyoko doesn't like to talk about herself, Makoto silently agreeing with the Ultimate Swimming Pro.

 _If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to._

Byakuya tried to frame it as a matter of trust, claiming that they couldn't trust someone who couldn't even reveal their title to them.

 _You're wrong! I trust her. I trust her with my life!_

At Byakuya's continued demands, Kyoko sighed and thought _Well, I guess I can't avoid the issue any longer…_ "I can't." At Toko's frustrations as to why she wouldn't tell them, Kyoko clarified "I didn't say I won't. I said I can't."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Makoto was wondering the same thing as Yasuhiro when Kyoko explained "Because...I don't remember. I have no memory of what I am."

The revelation shocked everyone in the room, Makoto especially so as he thought _Is that what she meant? When she asked Monokuma what he had done to her body? He gave her amnesia? Is that why she was so cryptic with me? Not because she didn't trust me…?_

Byakuya dismissed her response as a joke, angering Makoto and making Kyoko shake her head as she admitted "I knew you wouldn't believe me. That's why I didn't say anything. But it doesn't matter. Either way, the truth will make itself clear before we're done."

Irritated, Byakuya declared that he could no longer do nothing in this scenario, making Makoto worried for Kyoko. For her part, Kyoko raised her brow in curiosity.

She challenged "What are you going to do? Torture me?"

Byakuya shook his head and said that he would simply limit her options.

"Limit my options…?"

Byakuya then gave her an ultimatum; either she reveal her title, or she relinquish her room key.

Makoto blanched as he exclaimed to himself _Byakuya, you can't! She'll have nowhere else to go if you take her key. She'll die if she sleeps anywhere but one of the dorm rooms!_

Byakuya still wouldn't back down, ignoring Aoi and Makoto's objections.

"...Fine. I understand."

It was then, to Byakuya's shock, she walked up to Byakuya and handed over her key. Makoto blanched in horror.

 _Kyoko, NO! Don't do this; Byakuya's just being unreasonable._

"Why do you refuse to talk…!?"

"Whether I want to or not, I can't. All I can do is keep telling you that."

Aoi and Yasuhiro spoke up, starting to believe Kyoko's story, with Yasuhiro contemplating that since only the worst things happened here, that amnesia wasn't exactly outside of reality.

Chuckling, Kyoko replied "The worst school, where only the worst things happen? Do you really mean that? Can you really be sure that life here has been filled with only the worst things?"

"Wh-What do you mean…?"

Makoto tried to rack his brain for anything that happened here that was positive, but like Yasuhiro, came up with a blank.

Kyoko shook her head and said "Perhaps I've said too much."

She turned to walk away, Byakuya yelling after her and demanding to know where she was going.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to harm any of you."

She then walked out of the dining hall and out of their sight.

Just before she vanished, Makoto stood up and yelled "KYOKO!"

He felt a sense of dread as she vanished, fear for her safety now gripping his soul.

XXX

 _Isn't there something I can do? Something I can…_

Makoto's half-dreamy haze was dissipated by a ring of his doorbell, waking him up. Groaning, he walked over to the door and opened it to find the very girl who had been haunting his thoughts all night.

"K-Kyoko…?"

 _What's she doing here? Maybe she's here because she can't be in her room. Wait; that's it! I can offer to share until we convince Byakuya to give her back her room key. If I offered with Sayaka, then I can offer Kyoko the option too. Anything to protect her from Monokuma!_

Oblivious to Makoto's thoughts, Kyoko quietly said "I'll be waiting for you in the dressing room...See you there…"

She then disappeared, leaving Makoto all alone in the room.

 _Whatever she wants to talk about must be important. I can't just not go._

XXX

Makoto walked into the bathhouse and waved to Kyoko who was sitting on a nearby bench. As she acknowledged him, Makoto sat across from her, their eyes meeting as Kyoko spoke with a hint of guilt in her eyes.

"Sorry for asking you to meet with me so late."

Makoto shrugged and replied that he was used to it.

 _I guess you are..._ Reflecting on her history of asking him to meet with her out of the blue, she smiled and replied "...Indeed. Well then, let me get straight to the point."

Makoto beat her to the punch, informing her that Monokuma had come to them after she left and told them that something of value was stolen from him. When he asked if ti was her, her eyes widened.

 _...So, you figured it out, ne? You are sharp…_ "That's right. I stole this…"

She held out her palm, showing Makoto a small key with a Monokuma keyring. Makoto's eyes widened in shock as he saw what it was.

"Where did you get this…?"

"From the headmaster's room."

"But...wasn't it locked?"

"The lock was broken." Seeing Makoto's confusion, Kyoko explained "It was Sakura. She did it for us… Remember what she said in her note? I'm not going to just lay down and die. I will fight you…"

"So...Sakura broke into the headmaster's room for us?"

Makoto's eyes showed a new appreciation for their deceased friend as Kyoko explained "That's right. So that we could uncover whatever secrets might lay hidden within… I noticed the room was open after the class trial was over yesterday. But if I'd just strolled into the room, Monokuma would have noticed right away. Which is why..." She looked away, guilt crossing her face as she finished "I used you as a decoy."

Makoto's eyes widened as he understood Kyoko's reason for sending him on a wild goose chase last night.

"So you asked me to meet you at the data center in order to..."

Kyoko nodded and confirmed "Correct. I wanted you to draw Monokuma's attention. I took that opportunity to sneak into the headmaster's room. And as a result...I found this key." _I'm sorry I couldn't tell you…_

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized what else she might have found in there and asked if she had found that information on Mukuro Ikusaba while she was there.

"I did find a file in the headmaster's room that talked about her, yes. I don't know all the details yet, but...one thing I do know, is that Mukuro Ikusaba is dangerous." Looking at Makoto, she warned "She may very well be the mastermind."

Shocked and confused, Makoto objected "But didn't Alter Ego say that the headmaster was probably the mastermind?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied "No...the headmaster isn't the mastermind, I'm sure of that. I don't have proof yet, but I have no doubt that I'm right."

Makoto nodded, having learned to trust Kyoko's intuition. Still, he had this nagging sensation that she was holding out on him, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Kyoko...whatever it is you're on to, I really feel like you ought to tell me."

Kyoko bowed her head, feeling guilty as she uttered "I'm sorry. I'm...not quite...at a point where I can articulate it. I...suspect you think I'm being terribly unfair."

Makoto shook his head and answered "Actually no; I don't. After all, I pretty much did the same thing with my information about Sakura, so I can't exactly blame you when I already made the same decision myself..."

Kyoko looked at him, shocked at how Makoto was able to rationalize and forgive her secrecy.

 _...You're too kind for your own good, Makoto…_ Choosing to move on, Kyoko continued "Anyway, the key is the one big opportunity we've been waiting to get our hands on. Now that we've grasped it, we can't let it go, can we?"

Intrigued, Makoto inquired "What's this key even unlock?"

Makoto blanched as she answered "I don't know yet. Which is why...I need you to draw Monokuma's attention again, while I go and find out."

"You can't! That's way too dangerous! If there's more than one person watching us..." _You'll die…_

Kyoko shook her head and countered "But they didn't catch on last night, right?"

"Maybe we just got lucky..."

"Or maybe the mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time."

 _That's a big maybe, Kyoko. I'm not sure I want to bet your life on a maybe…_

Trying to dissuade his fears, Kyoko continued "Like I said, we didn't get caught last night. But as you said, maybe it was pure luck. Which is why we're going to run the experiment one more time. And if we're successful again...then what may have just been a proven guess will be proven true." _And if it was just luck, then who better to help pull it off again than the Ultimate Lucky Student?_ As Makoto took all this in, becoming slightly calmer although still unconvinced, Kyoko continued "If it's true that the mastermind can't watch us and control Monokuma at the same time...then there would have to be a period of time where the mastermind is vulnerable. What we need to do is find out for sure if that's actually true, and if we can exploit it."

Although Makoto's resolve weakened, it didn't shatter completely. He still worried immensely at the prospects of failure and their consequences.

"No matter what the reward, the risk is just too high. When I think what might happen if we fail..."

Kyoko squeezed his hand in comfort and assured him "I don't think you need to worry all that much. After all…"

She brought out her handbook and pointed to one of the rules, making Makoto's eyes widen as he realized what she was referring to.

 _Of course; unless we break one of Monokuma's rules, we're still safe to do whatever we please. Kyoko's banking on that freedom…_

"No restrictions have been placed on our efforts to solve the mystery, am I wrong? Even when I took the key, I didn't break any rules as far as I can tell."

Makoto still worried that the mastermind could decide to toss all the rules out the window at any convenient time, and voiced his concern "He could just kill us all without a second thought!"

"I see...In that case, even if the plan fails, we'll still be able to prove or disprove that hypothesis. In a moment of crisis, will the mastermind break their own rules, or adhere to them no matter what? In other words, we gain something whether we succeed or not. Now there's no reason not to do it, right?"

 _What about your life, Kyoko? Your life is worth far more than the scientific method!_

As Makoto tried to protest, Kyoko's voice hardened as she urged "Surely you agree we can't just sit on our hands. We must be bold! If you spend all your time trying to avoid danger, you'll never move forward. We know the danger. But if that risk means solving the mystery, we have no choice. Am I wrong?"

"But can I even trust you..." _Liar. Of course you can trust her. You wouldn't have survived the first class trial if you didn't trust her._

Kyoko felt a sense of irony, seeing their general personalities reversed in this one moment in time. She smiled at him and said "Makoto, you can trust me on this. And besides, I can't change how I feel, and wouldn't if I could."

Persuaded, Makoto sighed in resignation and acquiesced "I'll do what I can." As Kyoko smiled in victory, she was caught off guard as Makoto revealed the one caveat to his acceptance.

"But I'm going to need you to promise me something, Kyoko."

 _Promise? Promise what?_

Makoto stood up as he continued "Find out what that key goes to, SAFELY. Make coming back alive your number one priority." _I don't want to lose you, so please, don't take unnecessary risks!_

Kyoko nodded to Makoto's request, and was thrown off guard even more when Makoto held up his right pinky finger in front of her, her eyes widening in recognition of his implication.

 _...Aren't we a little old for pinky swears, Makoto?_ Kyoko thought as she stared at Makoto's appendage.

Nevertheless, she held out her own pinky and wrapped it around his, the childish promise a solemn vow engraved in both of their minds, and warmth rushing through both of their hearts.

After retreating her hand, she reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Makoto who looked at it with curiosity.

"Consider it a symbol of my determination. Don't open it yet. Only open it...if something ever happens to me." Seeing his protest before it even left his mouth, Kyoko explained "I'm not planning on dying. But there's always a chance of it, and a death without meaning is...unappealing." Holding his free hand, Kyoko pleaded "Please, I want you to hold on to it for me."

Makoto nodded, promising "But I'm gonna give it back at some point, you can be sure of that!"

Kyoko's heart fluttered at Makoto's determination that she would survive her little experiment, causing her to smile and reply "Yes...of course. Oh, and one more thing. You can't tell anyone else about what I've discovered."

"Because then there's a chance that the mastermind might find out, right?"

"Well...there's that too."

She didn't want to tell him the real reason, that she didn't want to have to rely on the others for help. That she was already past her comfort zone by asking him for such a crucial favor.

"It's nothing. Forget I said anything. Okay then, shall we begin? I'm counting on you, Makoto."

Makoto nodded, reciting his part of the plan to ensure that he didn't mess it up.

Getting up from the bench, Kyoko walked to the entryway before turning around and telling him "I'm going on ahead. The rest is up to you…"

She winked, then walked off, leaving Makoto alone.

With hyperactive nerves, he took a deep breath and said "Well, here goes everything!"

He went out the entryway, check to see that Kyoko had gone, and yelled "HEY MONOKUMA!"

XXX

Despite the apparent success of their plan, Makoto became more and more worried about Kyoko, especially when she didn't show up at all the next day. Eventually his internal struggles transformed to the physical, as by late afternoon he felt on the verge of sleep, and was sweating like he had just spent a day in the sauna. Too exhausted and sick to even think of going to dinner, Makoto just crawled into bed Without the energy to shed his hoodie, he fell asleep almost instantly.

 _Kyoko…_

XXX

Kyoko felt a chill run up her spine, causing her to shiver.

 _The footsteps of death...who's going to die next?_

She peered down the stairwell that she was near and saw a strange, unrecognizable figure wearing a white jacket and a strange mask walking by the stairway.

 _Who...is that...Mukuro?_

Seeing this as a chance to possibly corner the mastermind, she silently tailed the mysterious individual, staying behind each corner to avoid being seen. Eventually the silent chase led her to the dorms, where to her horror, she saw Makoto's door was open.

 _NO! The god of death, he haunts Makoto. He'll die if I don't stop this…_

As she finished that thought, she heard Makoto's scream and burst in, just as the mysterious assailant was about to slit Makoto's throat.

"NO!"

She reached out with her hand, grabbing their wrist and restraining them from delivering the killing blow. She then twisted them around so that she had her back to Makoto and the assailant was facing the door.

"I won't let you harm Makoto!"

It was then that she gazed towards the would be murder weapon, her eyes widening in realization.

 _That's the knife Toko found, and the one I suggested we give to Makoto. Damn it, if I hadn't suggested he take it, he wouldn't be in danger. How could I be so careless?_

The assailant used Kyoko's moment of distraction to wrestle their arm from Kyoko's grasp and sprint out of the room, away from Kyoko's sight. She contemplated giving chase, but hesitated.

 _If I leave, then Makoto will be defenseless once more!_

"Kyoko…?"

She saw Makoto breathing heavily as he uttered her name, slipping in and out of consciousness as he breathed heavily. Concerned, she placed her hand against his forehead, only to retract it as the blistering heat was felt even with her signature gloves still on.

 _He's burning up! With a fever like that, he's in no way able to defend himself if the assassin comes back to finish the job. Alright, my best course of action right now is to stay. I'll protect you, Makoto. I promise._

With that, she kneeled by his bed, using her gloved hand to wipe the sweat off his face. Since there was no running water at night, this was the best she could do to improvise.

"Kyoko, Kyoko..."

She removed her hand from his forehead and touched his cheek with her left hand, using her right to squeeze one of his own.

"Shh, you're okay. Rest Makoto. You're safe tonight, I promise."

As though listening to her attempts to soothe him, Makoto became less feverish and soon stopped moaning. And so this cycle continued, Kyoko tending to Makoto's fever as best she could, saying soothing words to keep him resting while using her presence to protect him from the footsteps of death that had sought to end his life.

By 6:00, his fever had all but vanished, and Kyoko deemed it close enough to morning that Makoto was safe for the time being. Getting up from the floor, she walked away, silently opening the door and turning her head to sneak one last look at the sleeping Makoto. Once more, she thought he looked cute how he slept, now that he was no longer plagued by illness. Shaking her head, Kyoko closed the door behind her, sneaking back to her previous destination as she breathed a sigh of relief.

 _I protected him. At least he's safe from harm for now. I have to solve the mystery of this school. Otherwise, he'll just be put in danger again._

Newfound determination scorching through her, she got to work, all thoughts now focused on her investigation.

XXX

 _This doesn't feel real…_

The day felt so bizarre ot Makoto from the moment he woke up and tried to grasp onto any memory of what happened last night. Things just got stranger when he saw the others dismantling a Monokuma robot. Byakuya of course took the opportunity to lead everyone to break into the Headmaster's room. That plan however got derailed when Genocide Jack appeared and told them of a corpse she found in the garden. As they went to investigate it, it exploded, making the body catch on fire until Makoto hazily poured a bucket of water on it. While giving a cursory glance to try and find out who it was, he spotted a key on the ground and was subsequently ordered by Byakuya to find out what room it opened.

 _What am I, your errand boy?_

Eventually, Makoto found out it went to the data center, and after summoning everyone else from the garden, they went inside. After finding the room filled with monitors that showed every surveillance feed in the school, Monokuma appeared, shocking everyone at how he was still functional. He then went on to boast about how everything from their arrival to the present had been broadcast on live television as the ultimate reality show.

 _...You're joking...right?_

Even Byakuya was shocked, giving off the impression that such a feat would be a near-impossible endeavor even for the Togami Corporation. It was then that Monokuma dropped the biggest bombshell of all; that they had to undergo another class trial in order to determine who killed the mysterious corpse. As he left and everyone panicked, Byakuya declared that they had to find out who killed Kyoko. Makoto's eyes bulged as Byakuya's statement repeated itself in his head.

 _Kyoko was...murdered? No! It's not possible…_

Soon everyone left to begin their investigation, leaving Makoto by himself in the data center.

 _Did Kyoko really...die? No, she promised. We swore that she'd come back alive._ He took out the folder from his jacket, staring at it as he thought _I trust her, I trust that she'll come back alive. So that...I can give this back to her…_

XXX

It took some convincing, but Makoto finally convinced Byakuya to allow him to investigate Kyoko's room for clues. When Byakuya asked what he was looking for, Makoto sheepishly admitted that he didn't have anything particularly in mind, and that he was banking on finding some kind of clue.

"You can't be serious!"

Byakuya chastised him and asked if Makoto had something more concrete to guide him. His eyes widening in realization, Makoto pulled out the envelope Kyoko had given him.

After explaining to the now curious Byakuya that Kyoko told him to open it if something ever happened, Byakuya ordered "Well, something has certainly happened. So open it."

 _I'm not sure this is what she meant…_

Nevertheless, Makoto opened the envelope, pulling out a single piece of paper with the phrase under the sheets written on it. As Byakuya expressed irritation and Makoto expressed confusion, he looked to Kyoko's bed.

 _Under the sheets...could it be…_

Makoto started sifting through Kyoko's bedsheets until he felt what seemed to be a sheet of paper. Yanking it out, he showed it to Byakuya, revealing it to be a ripped information sheet on Mukuro Ikusaba. They read through it, Makoto's mind spinning as as he felt like he had just entered into an alternate reality, while Byakuya remarked about the Fenrir Mercenary Group. Their contemplations were interrupted by Monokuma, who revealed that there were actually sixteen students in the killing game.

 _Sixteen? Wait, so then...What Kyoko told me...was true!_

Monokuma also revealed that one of the participants was also the one who made all the rules. The bear turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks to drop a bombshell as revenge against Kyoko.

"You know how she wears those stupid gloves, day in, day out, all the time? Well, she wears them to cover a bunch of hideous scars that she doesn't want anyone to see!"

 _Scars...That psychotic bear! Kyoko should have had the choice of whether to tell me that, but now it's been told against her will!_

Before Makoto could act on his ire, Monokuma vanished out of sight, leaving Makoto and Byakuya alone.

 _...I feel like I just invaded on her privacy...again._

Makoto felt disgusted, both with himself for having received such a painful, personal secret, and with Monokuma for disclosing that secret against Kyoko's will. Taking a deep breath, he push his anger away for the time being, choosing to focus on the case at hand.

XXX

Everyone waited in the lobby for the elevator. One minute became two, then five, then ten. Finally Monokuma appeared, but to everyone's surprise Monokuma revealed that someone had yet to arrive.

 _Who's left? The only one not here is…_

"If it's me you're waiting for...I'm here."

Lavender eyes pierced Makoto's as he whirled around, watching the familiar boots cross into the lobby as their owner joined the rest of the participants.

"K-Kyoko!"

He beamed at the sight of her, thinking with a sigh of relief _Thank goodness she's alive!_

Referencing Monokuma's desire to punish her for being late, she announced "I'm here, and no rule's been broken."

Makoto stared in horror as Byakuya asked whether or not there would be a punishment for Kyoko's tardiness.

 _No, Byakuya! Punishment means death here! Are you trying to get her killed?_

Kyoko for her part calmly countered "I made it here just fine. What school regulation did I violate? Am I wrong?"

Monokuma lamented that there was no violation, but Makoto's skin crawled when Monokuma assured with an evil smile that he'd make sure she felt sorry later before urging everyone onto the elevator.

"Kyoko!" Makoto couldn't help but shout her name one more time, still on an emotional high at the revelation that she didn't die.

"Of course I didn't die…" Kyoko replied when Aoi asked, smirking at how everyone thought she was dead.

At Byakuya's urging, everyone started to pile into the elevator. Kyoko started to walk forward, but stopped when she felt Makoto grab her wrist.

"Kyoko. Where have you been this whole time?" _Don't you know how worried I was?_

"I went to investigate the 2nd floor of the dorms."

 _Oh yeah; there was a gate in front of some stairs in the dorms. So that's where she went?_

"There aren't any monitors or cameras there, so I was able to avoid Monokuma completely. Of course, I also missed his announcement because of that. I had no idea a body had been discovered."

Nodding, Makoto asked "Then...when did you find out?"

"Just now. I finished my search and came back down, just in time to hear the class trial announcement. I took some time to go over the crime scene first. I can't go to a trial completely uninformed, can I?"

 _I suppose not..._ Makoto nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry I kept you all waiting."

 _I'm just glad you're alive._ "Then...that's what the key you found goes to?" _The second floor of the dorms…_

Kyoko shook her head and corrected "Actually, to be precise...not quite. I used Monokuma's secret tool, which can open any lock in the school."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock, but before he could get any more information out of her, Aoi hollered for them to get in the elevator.

"We can go over all the details after we get through the trial, okay Makoto? Right now I just want to focus on surviving our current situation. Because this is probably the single most crucial moment so far for me."

 _Why for her specifically? What's going on, Kyoko?_

Nevertheless, Makoto relented, letting go of her wrist. Before they stepped into the elevator, Kyoko looked at him, and spoke with a rare tone of complete and utter apology.

"I apologize in advance for anything I might say or do."

 _Apologize? What for? You've been our savior before, Kyoko. Surely you'll get us out of this one too!_

Shaking her head, she turned around, and said "Well, if that's all…" before strolling into the elevator, Makoto following closely behind her.

XXX

The trial opened in the most ridiculous way possible; Yasuhiro declared that Kyoko was the victim, and that the Kyoko in the trial room was her ghost. Everyone else facepalmed at Yasuhiro's stupidity. Taking charge, Makoto proposed that they settle the matter by comparing the traits of the corpse to the traits of Kyoko.

 _One important trait Kyoko has that proves that the body doesn't belong to her. Wait, her hands...I got it! But that means...I'm sorry, Kyoko. Please forgive me for revealing your secret to everyone…_

Makoto postulated that her gloves would provide some insight into the mystery, leading Byakuya to elaborate on Makoto's point.

"In that case, I think it would be helpful if someone explained why she actually wears those gloves."

"And would you happen to know the answer?" _I haven't told anybody; there's no way they would know about that...right?_

Kyoko's eyes widened as Byakuya replied "In fact, Monokuma told me. Apparently you have scars on your hands you don't want anyone to see."

She grimaced, clearly not pleased at having her most carefully guarded secret exposed in front of everyone. She looked toward Makoto who lanced apologetically at her, and her grimace turned to an appreciative smile, as if to convey that she didn't blame him for the circumstances. Unfortunately, Yasuhiro wasn't convinced, claiming that the gloves probably just burnt in the explosion. Again, everyone else facepalmed, Makoto in particular glaring at Yasuhiro through his hand.

 _Why can't you just accept it and leave it alone? She shouldn't have to have a secret exposed that she doesn't want to share…_

Partially motivated by frustration, Makoto brought up the fake nails on the corpse and that it wouldn't make sense for the corpse to be Kyoko since the fake nails would get in the way and that they would contradict Kyoko's motive of trying to hide her hands from public view. Byakuya pressed Kyoko for her input on the discussion.

 _Guess there's no other option…_ "These gloves were custom-made to the size of my hands to make sure they don't interfere with my daily life. If I wore fake nails, the gloves wouldn't fit properly."

With that detail settled, Yasuhiro finally dropped his ridiculous theory, making both Makoto and Kyoko sigh in relief. With that, the debate continued.

Once Makoto revealed the mark of a wolf on the corpse's hand, it was deduced, and confirmed by Monokuma, that the deceased was Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier. Everyone was confused, under the impression that Mukuro was the mastermind, but Byakuya postulated that she was simply another participant. Everyone then started wondering who the real mastermind was, with Toko suspecting that it was the headmaster, like Alter Ego suggested.

"No, the headmaster has nothing to do with it."

"But how can we trust that? We already know your information about Mukuro was wrong."

 _Geez Byakuya. One little error suddenly erases four trials of reliability? I'm still inclined to believe her intel…_

"My information was not wrong…"

The force that Kyoko spoke with as she grit her teeth stunned everyone in the room, used more ot the stoic and calm Kyoko than the one prone to outbursts. Monokuma then reminded everyone to focus on solving Mukuro's murder, and revealed that it was one of the students who had killed Mukuro. Byakuya calmly assured everyone that they had narrowed down the list of suspects.

 _Narrowed it down? Wait a minute, The only two people that Byakuya didn't gather last night were...I got it! Oh no…_

"You've narrowed it down to...Kyoko, and me. Right?"

Intrigued with a hint of dread, Kyoko asked "...Why do you say that?"

Byakuya postulated that the murder took place after he left the garden, but that during that time, he gathered Aoi, Yasuhiro, and Toko in the gym.

"The gym…?"

Byakuya nodded, revealing that they were trying to dismantle Monokuma, and never went anywhere alone, giving all of them alibis.

"The only ones without alibis..."

"...are me and Makoto. That's why you're able to narrow down the list of suspects."

Makoto shuddered at the possibility that either him or Kyoko could be executed by this trial.

 _I can't let this stand. I have to clear my own name. Kyoko's too!_

At Makoto's insistence, the debate turned to solidifying the time of the murder. Makoto brought up over fierce and nonsensical objections from Toko that since the body got wet from him pouring a bucket of water on it to douse the flames, and not from the sprinklers since they were set to go off at 7:30, then the murder had to have occurred sometime after 7:30. This led Byakuya to propose that the culprit had to be Kyoko, filling Makoto with a sense of dread.

"...I'd just like to say one thing. If you vote for me, and I die here, the mystery of this school will stay hidden forever. Which is why...I can't let that happen!" _I'm sorry, Makoto. I need your help just a little longer._

"So are you saying...you're not the culprit?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko answered Byakuya "Of course I'm not. I have no reason to kill anyone. This is a trap the mastermind has laid for us."

 _A trap?_

Byakuya postulated that Kyoko could have killed Mukuro, stating that she had reason to believe that Mukuro was the mastermind and thus a reason to eliminate her so that the killing game would end. Yasuhiro nodded, stating that with a motive and no alibi, she had to be the obvious suspect.

 _No, that can't be it! This has to be a trap! I just have a little more and…_

"I'm not the only one without an alibi. Makoto's explanation is still insufficient."

That shocked Makoto; of all the trials that had occurred so far, this was the first where she was deliberately pointing the finger at him.

 _What the heck, Kyoko? Why are you pointing the finger at me?_

"The sprinklers didn't get the body wet, but that doesn't mean the murder happened when he said it did. Because you see, there is a way the body could have avoided getting wet. All it would take is covering the body with a certain something to keep it from getting wet."

 _A certain something? Kyoko, what are you...I got it!_ "You're talking about the tarp, aren't you?"

Kyoko nodded, an unusually sad and remorseful smile on her face as she confirmed "You catch on quick. You're right. All you'd have to do is cover the body with the tarp, and that'd take care of the water. In fact, that's exactly what the killer did. The dirt pattern on the tarp can attest to that. Only one side of the tarp got dirty, because that's the side that got covered in water. The side that faced down over the body, meanwhile, kept perfectly clean. This proves that the killer used the tarp to keep the body from getting soaked."

"But why would they go to all that effort just to keep the body from getting wet?"

Kyoko replied to Byakuya "Most likely so they could cloud the issue of when the murder actually took place. In other words, to create an excuse exactly like the one Makoto just gave us."

 _Why would Kyoko say that?_

Makoto felt his heart crack at Kyoko's suggestion, disturbed that she would implicate him as the killer. Shaking his head, he thought about the tarp, and came to a realization.

"Wait...something's not right."

"And what might that be?" At Makoto's silence, Kyoko declared "By covering the body with the tarp...the killer prevented it from getting wet."

 _Wait...that tarp was totally spotless on the other side. That doesn't make any sense!_

When Makoto voiced this concern, Yasuhiro countered "It's cuz that side was protected from the water! Since it was facing down toward the body...of course it didn't get dirty!"

 _Wait...if things really happened like Kyoko said, then the other side should have been all bloodied. That's wrong, Yasuhiro!_

When Makoto raised that very concern, Yasuhiro defended that the culprit had washed it afterwards, to avoid suspicion. Byakuya countered that had that been the case, both sides would have been washed.

"More than that, what if the very blood we saw on the body was meant as a kind of camouflage?" Seeing Makoto's shock, Kyoko elaborated "What if, after the killer used the tarp to avoid the sprinklers...they then covered the body in blood that didn't belong to the victim?" Yasuhiro suggested that the culprit grabbed blood packets from the nurse's office to use as camouflage, but Kyoko shook her head and answered "No, that's not what happened this time. The killer got the blood from right there in the garden."

 _Right there in the garden? But the only source of blood in there is...I got it!_ "Could it have been...chicken blood?"

As Aoi and Yasuhiro expressed disgust at that particular ploy, Kyoko pondered "I wonder if the killer had to get the blood from the scene so they wouldn't be spotted walking around...Anyway, there's no denying that a chicken went missing, which provides a basis for my theory."

Byakuya remarked that if that was the case, then the blood should have seeped into the ground, and not just stayed on Mukuro's clothing.

"I have to agree, that certainly is strange...Maybe they didn't apply the blood at the scene. Maybe they covered the coat in blood beforehand."

"Beforehand?"

"When you discovered the body, was it wearing the coat like you normally would?"

"Wait, no...the head was through the neck hole, but the arms weren't in the sleeves."

"Then that settles it." After Aoi expressed difficulty keeping up with her and Makoto's back and forth, Kyoko clarified "Here's what happened - the murder took place before the sprinklers went off. But the body didn't get wet, because the killer covered it with the tarp. Then, later, at the same time the killer was gathering up the tarp...they pulled the coat over the body. The coat they'd already covered in blood. This series of cover-ups was meant to disguise the actual time the murder occurred. They wanted us to think the murder happened sometime after the sprinklers had gone off, at 7:30."

Byakuya admitted that if everything was true, then the murder certainly could have happened earlier. Aoi however was skeptic, raising the point that the culprit would have had to go back to the garden after the sprinklers turned off.

"That actually wouldn't have been all that difficult. They already had the coat ready. So they just had to grab the tarp and pull the coat over the body. They'd be done in no time."

"Maybe, but still..." _What's the point of all this, Kyoko?_

Ignoring Makoto, Kyoko looked towards Aoi and asked "Hina. After you met up with Makoto in the dining hall, did you two stay together from that point on?"

Aoi admitted that they had separated, meeting Makoto in the gym later on.

"Then he had plenty of time to spare, wouldn't you say?"

His mouth agape in shock, Makoto stuttered "Th-That's not-"

"Don't bother saying it's not possible."

Makoto felt his heart crack once more, astonished at Kyoko's sudden antagonizing of him.

 _Why, Kyoko? What did I do? I swear, I'm not a killer! Why won't you believe me this time?_

With Byakuya's conclusion that Makoto's alibi was inadequate, they were now back at square one; both Makoto and Kyoko were suspects in Mukuro's murder. Suspicion soon fell back on Makoto once it was revealed that the knife thrust into Mukuro's body was the one that Kyoko insisted Makoto hold onto. Makoto however countered, stating that since the knife had been stabbed into the body after Mukuro died, then there was no way he could have stabbed her to death. Yasuhiro tried to counter that Makoto could have stabbed her twice.

 _No, there's no way that's possible...I got it!_

Makoto held up the Monokuma File as evidence, stating that there was only one stab wound. Makoto raised the point that since the body exploded after they found it, the knife would be the only concrete evidence of what might have killed her, and was therefore a type of camouflage designed to mislead them. Byakuya deduced that the culprit wanted to use the Monokuma Bomb to detonate the body and leave the knife behind so that Makoto would be the suspect.

"And the only one who would benefit from that...is the only other possible suspect. You, Kyoko."

"Hold on a second, Byakuya."

Makoto raised the issue that they still didn't know who killed her, and asked that they talk about that more. Byakuya obliged, and the debate continued. Makoto deduced that the wound to the back of Mukuro's head was the fatal injury, and Byakuya announced that they already knew what the murder weapon was.

 _The real murder weapon...wait, the dojo locker...I got it!_

Makoto revealed that the culprit used a group of titanium arrows and bound them together with duct tape in order to create the weapon that killed Mukuro. Byakuya, to Makoto's discomfort, swiftly accused Kyoko of being the one to kill Mukuro, leaving her ot object to the charge.

"...I've never been to the dojo."

Byakuya doubled down, demanding that Makoto show the evidence that proved that she did go to the dojo. When Makoto hesitated, Byakuya warned him what would happen if he tried to protect her.

 _Alright, I get it! Now let's see, evidence that proves Kyoko went to the dojo. Wait, the key! I got it!_

Makoto brought up the key that went to the dojo locker, leading Kyoko to challenge his evidence.

"And how does that prove anything?"

Makoto sheepishly revealed that he had found it in her room, making Kyoko's eyes widen in shock.

"It was...in my room?"

Surprisingly, Kyoko felt nothing about the fact that Makoto had gone and invaded her room. She attributed it to the stress of the case and dismissed the thought. Byakuya began to lecture about how this proved that she was the culprit.

"...Hold on a second."

Irritated, Byakuya complained "Not this again. You really are dead-set on defending her, aren't you?"

Kyoko felt her heart flutter at Byakuya's claim that Makoto was trying to protect her, along with guilt for how she had been pointing the finger at him this entire trial.

Makoto shook his head, explaining "It's just...there's one more thing I need to ask her."

Kyoko raised her brow, suddenly curious at what Makoto wanted to ask her.

"Last night...you were in my room, weren't you? Why? What were you doing there?"

Kyoko's cheeks flushed red as she thought _It's only fair that I tell him the truth. If I'm going to betray his trust, I should at least have the decency to be honest with him about what I was doing._ Thinking back to the night she spent watching over him, she confessed "I was just...protecting you."

 _She was...protecting me? She knew I was being attacked...and she came to save me? Kyoko...did you also…_

Makoto's cheeks flushed to match Kyoko's as he vaguely recollected a feminine voice soothing him in his sleep, and soft fabric caressing his fevered face. Before he could voice his question, Byakuya rudely interrupted, claiming that a verdict was close at hand.

 _I can't let it end in my death. I have to do something!_ Kyoko interjected "Wait. I'm warning you, don't make this mistake. I'm not the killer."

Exasperated, Byakuya complained "I knew you were stubborn, but this is just getting ridiculous."

"Really? But you should know better than anyone I didn't do it. Can you tell me I'm wrong?"

This left everyone, including Byakuya, stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Answering Byakuya, Kyoko reiterated "Exactly what I said. I'm not the killer. You should understand that more than anyone here."

Starting to catch on, Byakuya hesitantly asked "So there's proof you aren't the culprit...Is that what you're saying?"

Kyoko elaborated "You stated a theory earlier. You said I hid the evidence of my crime in the dojo locker. And then left the locker key in my own room, correct? But...could I really have done that?"

 _Wait a minute. Could she have? No, she couldn't have!_

Makoto interjected, bringing up that Byakuya had confiscated Kyoko's room key earlier, a good two days before the murder took place.

"And if I had the key to your room..." Byakuya caught on, leading Kyoko to smirk.

"...then obviously I had no way of getting in. Without my room key, I couldn't have possibly put the locker key in there myself. Am I wrong?"

Byakuya acquiesced "It...would appear not."

"Then you're finally starting to understand."

Makoto looked at Kyoko, who despite her smirk was sweating, confusing him.

 _Is she...nervous? Wait, she could have gotten into her room! She's lying...but why? What do I do?_

Makoto closed, his eyes, and came to a decision.

 _To hell with it; I trust her! Kyoko's not a cold-blooded killer! She must have her reasons for holding out on us. I just have to trust that she'll tell us what they are when this is all over…_

Suspicion soon fell on Makoto, who was the only person without an alibi. In a rush to defend himself, Makoto panicked, stammering as he brought up how strange this trial was compared to the others, exclaiming that it had to be a trap.

"So that's why...this has to be-!"

"Okay, time's up!"

This shocked everyone in the room, Kyoko included. For once incredibly shaken, Kyoko exclaimed "What do you mean time's up? There's no time's up. Since when have we - ?"

Monokuma claimed that the trial had to be cut short because she arrived late, leaving Kyoko unconvinced. During all the trials, there had never once been a time limit stated during the rule explanations. Unfortunately, Monokuma's word was law here, and after the bear clapped his paws, a screen and lever appeared in front of everyone. The participants reluctantly touched their screens and pulled their levers, until only Makoto and Kyoko were left. Makoto started to sweat as s there was no clear culprit this time, and all the suspicion was piled directly on him.

 _So what do I do? Do I ...actually vote for Kyoko? NO, I can't do that! So then, do I vote for someone else? NO, I can't do that either. None of them are guilty as far as I can tell. So I...I WON'T VOTE. If this is the mastermind's plan, then I'm not falling for it!_

For her part, Kyoko started to sweat, for the first time undecided about her course of action.

 _I have to stay alive. I have to. So then, what do I do? Do I actually, vote to execute Makoto?_

The thought sickened her to her stomach; the idea of sending the sweet, shy, hopeful Makoto Naegi to the gallows of her own free will, especially when she knew he was innocent, made her tremble. Eventually, she reached forward, touched the screen with Makoto's icon on it, and weakly pulled her lever.

 _I...I had no choice. It was down to me and him as suspects. And I had to stay alive, so I was forced to choose Makoto. Makoto...I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you this time!_

Makoto watched with horror as the slot machine slowed down to have the image of his head show up on all three slots.

 _Wh...what?_ "I...I didn't do it!"

As Monokuma boasted that this trial was like all the others, and tha tit would end the same way, Makoto looked at Kyoko, who had her eyes downcast, choosing to look at her boots rather than face the boy she was sending to his death.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know this is all my fault…"

She choked up, unable to say anymore without showing her despair.

Monokuma cackled, roaring "It's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

Grabbing Makoto by the ankles, Monokuma dragged him into the execution chamber, cackling the entire way. Makoto clawed at the floor, trying to grasp on to any cracks between the tiles, crying and screaming all the way.

"NO! I'M NOT GUILTY! I'M INNOCENT! I DON'T WANNA DIE! KYOKO! KYOKO, HELP ME! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU!"

Kyoko shook as she watch him get dragged into what looked like a classroom with a conveyor belt and a heavy weight in the rear. She gazed with guilt, sorrow, and anger as the bear tied Makoto to a desk and activated the conveyor belt, hopping onto a platform in front of Makoto and, after putting on a pair of glasses and grabbing a book and a yardstick, started gesturing to the chalkboard and lecturing about reproduction. The weight rhythmically pounded the ground, the pounding sound ringing in everyone's ears, reminding everyone that Makoto's life had only minutes left before being cut short. Kyoko's fists clenched, Makoto's execution hitting her harder than any of the previous executions.

 _He doesn't deserve this. Makoto doesn't deserve this._

Eventually, Makoto reached the end, closing his eyes as he waited for the inevitable, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kyoko closed her eyes too, unable to watch Makoto's death at her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks, a physical display of her sorrow and guilt at Makoto's predicament.

 _I'm...I'm sorry, Makoto..._

But then, just as all hope seemed lost, One of the screens that had Monokuma's face on it, changed to Chihiro Fujisaki's likeness.

 _Alter Ego?_

Makoto looked up, and saw that the weight was frozen in place at the top. As he sighed in relief at his life being spared, the floor opened beneath him, sending him falling down a chute as he heard a voice scream his name.

"MAKOTO!"

XXX

Everyone stared in shock at what just happened, stunned that Makoto survived the execution attempt. Kyoko allowed a small smile, not caring if anyone saw at the moment as a small bit of relief filled her.

 _He's alive! He's not dead!_

She watched with satisfaction as Monokuma clenched his paws and roared "I've been hacked! Son of a mother, I've been hacked! Digi-Fujisaki planted a virus when it infiltrated the network..." Kyoko smiled in satisfaction as the bear banged his head against the chalkboard, exclaiming "They've made a mockery of this fine institution!"

Finally chiming in, Kyoko chastised "It seems you finally made a miscalculation. No...you miscalculated from the very beginning." As Monokuma seethed, Kyoko continued "What I'm saying is, you shouldn't have underestimated us."

To everyone's shock and discomfort, Monokuma quickly cheered up, exclaiming that having Makoto waste away in the garbage dump was an even better punishment than having to crush him flat.

 _He's right...Makoto's still going to die, and it'll still be all my fault…_

Seeing the despair on her face, Monokuma giggled, exclaiming that he would bring despair to the rest of the world before disappearing. Byakuya demanded answers from her, forcing Kyoko to rein in her emotions before addressing him.

"It's okay. We're not the ones being trapped this time. Now it's the mastermind that's ensnared…"

"What are you talking about…?"

Cryptically as usual, Kyoko replied "You'll understand soon enough. Very soon indeed…" She then walked up to the still confused Byakuya and held out her hand, demanding "My room key, please."

This demand stunned Byakuya, caught completely off guard by Kyoko's request. "Now listen here..." Byakuya took out her key, swinging it around his ringer by the keyring as he countered "You still haven't told us your true ability. You may not have been found guilty by the class trial, but I still don't trust you Kyoko Kirigiri. And until you tell us your title, I refuse to..."

"...Detective." _From what I've gathered about my skills and from what pieces of my past I can grasp on, it's the only logical conclusion._

"Huh?"

Sighing, Kyoko chastised "Don't those ears of yours work, Byakuya? I am the Ultimate Detective. I just remembered it as I put together pieces of my memory. Now, my room key. I believe I've satisfied your conditions, am I wrong?"

Grumbling, Byakuya obliged, slamming the key into her open palm. She then walked into the elevator, everyone else confused, but reluctantly following her as they left the trial chamber.

XXX

She closed the door, shakily walking over to the bed nearby. As soon as she lay down, face buried in the pillow, the dam broke. Tears streamed down her cheek as though her face was one big waterfall, openly sobbing as she couldn't hold in her emotions anymore. Her guilt, her sorrow, her anguish, her hatred, it all came bursting out at once.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault. Makoto's going to starve to death down there and it's all my fault. He trusted me, called me his friend, relied on me to protect him, and how do I repay him? By throwing him to the wolves and framing him as the killer in that trial. It may have been a setup by Monokuma, but I pointed my finger at him and even voted for him."

Kyoko raised her head from the pillow and clenched her fists in self-hatred.

"I'm such a coward; I valued my own life so much that I used Makoto as a shield rather then try to protect Makoto from suspicion. When push came to shove, I couldn't show him the same kindness that Makoto showed me. I couldn't put anyone's life above my own, and now Makoto's going to die because of that. I'm sorry! I'M SO SORRY!"

Kyoko turned to rest on her back as she cried herself to sleep, tormented by the anguish that plagued her as images of Makoto's cheerful face plagued her dreams.

XXX

Kyoko sat up, panting as she looked around, realizing she was back in her room.

"It was just a dream...but it was real..."

Kyoko thought on her dream where she saw Makoto back in the classroom, terrified and crying as he awaited his death by the heavy weight smashing down on the conveyor belt. She bent her knees and buried her had in them, taking up a fetal position as she wallowed in despair.

 _I deserve this. I threw Makoto to his death by framing him, and he still trusted me enough to not tell the others about how I acquired Monokuma's skeleton key…_

"Wait...the skeleton key!"

Digging around in her pockets, she pulled out Monokuma's key, realizing exactly what she held in her palm.

"It'll open any door in the school. I can get to where Makoto is...and get him out alive!"

Kyoko beamed, springing to her feet as she rushed out of her room and to the kitchen. Once she got there, she hurriedly opened drawers until she found a translucent plastic bag. Ripping it out of the drawer and slamming it shut, she stormed over to the fridge, getting two bottles of water and stuffing them into the bag. Then she went over to the counter and grabbed a handful of bread rolls, throwing them into the food bag as well.

 _He's been down there for hours. No doubt he'll be hungry by the time I get to him. Bringing him some food is the least I can do...to atone for my sins!_

Satisfied with the small collection of food, she raced over to the trash room. Spotting the locked hatch on the floor, she used Monokuma's key and opened it, spotting a ladder on the side.

 _Okay, so that's probably the way out...Now how to get to where Makoto is…_

She looked around and her eyes sparkled when she saw another hatch located next to the giant trash bin on the left side of the room. Seeing that this one was unlocked, she opened it and saw what appeared to be a near bottomless pit with no way back up.

 _This must be it! Now…_

She reached into the garbage bin with her free hand and yanked out several full garbage bags. Holding them at her feet, she walked over to the hatch until the bags of trash were hanging just below the hold in the floor. With that, she took a leap of faith, jumping down the hatch.

 _Hang on, Makoto. I'm coming to get you out of there alive!_

XXX

Makoto was jarred from his sleep as a giant crash resonated in his ears. He looked around frantically as he spotted several giant trash bags a few feet in front of him.

"Did a giant piece of trash just fall down here...?"

As he walked forward to investigate, Makoto stopped as he heard a familiar, feminine voice playfully condescend him from the pile.

"A giant piece of trash? Rude."

She stepped out of the trash pile, a cup of spoiled ramen sitting on her head like an odd cap, holding her nose as she dug her way out.

"This place smells awful."

"K-Kyoko!?"

Kyokoi looked Makoto over; to her relief, other than looking a little tired and slightly less energetic, he appeared to be in good health.

"You look like you're doing better than I expected…"

Makoto gawked, amazed that Kyoko was down there at all.

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

Rolling her eyes, Kyoko replied "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to help you."

 _You...you came all this way...to rescue me?_ "I'm glad to hear that, Kyoko..."

He then realized how silly she looked with the ramen cup on her head and held his palm up to his mouth, muffling his giggles to Kyoko's confusion.

"Umm...you've got a bit of garbage in your hair..."

Kyoko's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink out of embarrassment as she shook her head, freeing the ramen cup from her hair as Makoto managed to stop giggling.

"Sorry, Kyoko. I shouldn't have..."

"It's fine. First, I have something for you." She held out the food bag in front of him and gently ordered "Go ahead and eat it. We can talk once you're finished."

Snatching the food bag from her, his eyes beamed and a grateful grin spread from ear to ear as he suddenly leapt at her, embracing Kyoko as tightly as he could and resting his head on her chest.

"Th-Thank you! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

Kyoko was stunned at Makoto's reaction, flashing back to the opening ceremony when he had latched onto her waist in fear. Unlike that time though, this time she smiled warmly and returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around him in a vice as though he might disappear the moment she let go. She rubbed his back in comfort, trying to convey her unspoken thoughts to the Ultimate Lucky Student.

 _It's okay, Makoto. I'm never going to abandon you like that ever again. I'll protect you form the mastermind, and this time I'll keep that promise no matter what!_

Reluctantly, she let go of him as she pushed him far enough away so that she could see his flushed face.

"Now EAT, Makoto. You need to get your strength back up, so less talking, more chewing!"

Smiling at Kyoko's caring and concern for him, Makoto nodded and sat down, ripping open the bag with gusto. Kyoko took a seat on a nearby couch as she smiled with amusement at Makoto's antics, watching him stuff the rolls down his throat like there was no tomorrow, and drink from the water bottles when the food got stuck in his throat. Given how quickly he was stuffing bread into his body, this happened quite often.

Chuckling, Kyoko remarked "And just like that, he's back at full throttle..."

Smiling with embarrassment, Makoto replied "Well, I don't know about all that but, I guess...being rescued does kind of put a spring in my step..."

Smiling at his attitude, Kyoko remarked "So you still haven't given up, then."

"Of course not! After all, the fact that I can keep going forward is about all I'm good at..."

Kyoko frowned for a moment, a little disturbed at how Makoto could put himself down like that.

 _You're good at so much more, Makoto…_ Choosing to smile before Makoto saw, she remarked "Well, that's not such a bad thing to be good at."

One question plagued his mind though, and he felt like he needed answers from her.

"Why'd you come to rescue me?" _I'm not ungrateful, but why'd you risk your own life to save mine?_

Looking at her feet, Kyoko uttered "To pay a debt. Or, no...to atone."

 _Atone? What could she have to atone for?_

"During the trial, even though you knew I was lying, you didn't say anything."

"So...you knew that I knew..."

"But even though I knew, I did nothing to help you. I...abandoned you. I threw you under the bus to further my own agenda."

Makoto couldn't see her face, but was shocked to see a single tear fall from her face. Makoto immediately tried to comfort her, ashamed that he had made her cry in front of him.

 _Please don't cry, Kyoko!_ "Don't say that! You didn't abandon me!"

Shaking her head, Kyoko insisted "No, that's exactly what I did. I abandoned you in order to save my own life. You were trying to save me, and I couldn't bring myself to do the same for you. But listen, not that I'm trying to make excuses, but...there was a reason that I had to survive no matter the cost. I can't offer you any reason other than that. I really am sorry."

 _I'd never want you to die either, Kyoko. But…_ "Why did you have to survive?"

 _This is it...no more secrets. I won't hide anything from you, Makoto._ Struggling to overcome the lump in her throat, she looked him in the eye and acquiesced "I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything...The reason I have to survive...is so that I can do what I came to this school to do. I made up my mind to come to Hope's Peak Academy for one very important reason."

"So you have some reason for coming to Hope's Peak?" _But I thought we all came because we were recruited by talent scouts. Or, in my case, I won a raffle. So what's she talking about?_

Nodding, Kyoko answered "That's right. At least, I did, once. Until recently, I'd forgotten what it was."

 _Then...it's really true? You lost your memory? It's not that I don't believe you, it just seems so…_

Seeing his confusion, Kyoko asked "Do you remember, Makoto? Do you remember the first thing that happened to each of us as soon as we arrived at this school?"

His eyes widening in realization, Makoto asked "You're talking about when we fainted, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko elaborated "I fainted, too. And when I woke up...I noticed a strange feeling of...separation within myself. A disconnect. Thinking back on it now, at that point my memory was gone. At that time...I'd forgotten. I couldn't remember why I'd come to this school, and I couldn't remember what my ultimate ability was."

 _This is getting stranger and stranger by the minute…_ "But...what would make you forget all that?"

Smiling, Kyoko answered "Strange, isn't it? It's hard to imagine it happened by chance. It seems much too convenient."

"Are you saying you think you lost your memory because..."

"I don't think. I'm positive it was the work of the mastermind. They stole my memory…"

 _That must be why Kyoko demanded to know what Monokuma had done to her body…_ "B-But...why would they want to do that?"

"There's only one reason I can come up with. Because of my purpose, and my ability. Somehow, they would interfere with the mastermind's plans. And it could also mean...somehow, my memories may be connected to the mystery of this school, and the mastermind. Which is why I have to get them back. That's why I've been investigating things by myself this whole time."

"Why didn't you ask the rest of us to help you?" _I would have gladly helped you, Kyoko. All you had to do was ask..._

"If I did that, and we all worked as one, the mastermind would have noticed right away. Plus...There's always the chance that the mastermind is actually one of us…"

"What?!" _Did you really think...I could have been the mastermind…_

Seeing the hurt in Makoto's eyes, she lay her hand on his shoulder and assured him "Well, don't make too big a deal of it. It's just a possibility. But since it is a possibility, we can't ignore it, right?"

Grudgingly, Makoto agreed, understanding where she was coming from as he reasoned _Of course she couldn't trust anyone around her…_

Kyoko recaptured his attention when she admitted "That being said, there was a limit to what I could do by myself. Which is why I asked you to help me."

"But...why me?" _Just because I was willing to help, doesn't mean I would have been the most useful option._

"Because among everyone, you were least likely to be the mastermind. That was just intuition, but…"

Makoto nodded acknowledging that there wa sno way an ordinary kid like him could be the mastermind. It was then that Makoto zoned out, the fragment of memory from his dream flashing before his eyes.

 _My goal isn't to get out of here...it's to stay here._

Seeing Makoto's blank expression worried Kyoko, and she waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"Hello? Earth to Makoto, are you in there?"

Makoto blinked, back in reality as he noted Kyoko's concerned expression.

"Are you okay?"

Makoto assured her that it was nothing, though it was more to assure himself than for her. Kyoko didn't look entirely convinced, but let the matter drop.

She looked into his eyes, admitting "Even now, I still trust you, you know. It's just...I'm not used to relying on others. I know I never asked you for help the right way, so I understand if you're not convinced…"

 _I am convinced, Kyoko. It must have been so hard, asking for help when you're used to doing things on your own…_

Changing the subject, Makoto asked "Were you able to remember anything?"

"I think there's still a lot I don't remember. But at the very least...I was finally able to recall my purpose, and my ability. My ability - what everyone should have known me for...I'm the Ultimate Detective."

 _Seems obvious now that you say it…_ "Makes sense; I mean, anyone who spends more than ten minutes with you can see you've got sleuthing in your blood."

Kyoko smiled at Makoto's compliment, then continued "And the reason I came to Hope's Peak Academy...There was someone I had to find here in the school. Whatever it took, I had to find them."

"Who?"

"Well...It was the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy."

Makoto flashed back to how Kyoko became emotional when she said before Celeste's execution that she had to find the headmaster.

 _It must be important then…_ "Why did you want to find the headmaster!?"

Kyoko paused before revealing "Because he's my father."

Makoto's eyes widened as he exclaimed "What!?" _The headmaster is...your dad?_

"I was separated from him as a child. As it turns out, he became the headmaster of Hope's Peak."

 _She's...sharing more of her past with me...she really trusts me…_ Getting back on track, Makoto asked "When Alter Ego told us how he thought the headmaster was involved..."

Understanding where Makoto was going with that last line, Kyoko admitted "My memory hadn't come back at that point. But when he said that, I felt...strange. It makes perfect sense now, of course, since my whole purpose for coming here was to find him." She then stared at him, and clarified "But listen, Makoto. I want to make this perfectly clear, so there's no misunderstanding...I said the headmaster wasn't the mastermind, but I didn't say that to protect him. I only said what I felt based on what I'd seen when I snuck into the headmaster's room."

Nodding, Makoto asked "Then...what did you see in there?"

"The room had been ransacked. The shelves were a mess, the desk drawers dumped on the floor...The only conclusion is that someone who didn't know where anything was had been in there."

"You mean...the mastermind, right?" _I mean, who else could it have been if it wasn't the headmaster?_

"That was my assumption, yes. And to confirm my suspicion...I decided to investigate the 2nd floor of the dorms using the key I'd found."

"But...why there?" _Of all the places to look, why the dorms?_

"Because I also found this in the headmaster's room." She held out a series of floor designs for Makoto to see and explained as he sifted through them "It's a layout of the entirety of Hope's Peak Academy. I found it in the headmaster's room, along with Mukuro's profile and that key. The map showed that the 2nd floor was home to a number of rooms meant for faculty use. Some of the staff members must have had to stay overnight from time to time. And I figured the headmaster would have some kind of private room there...I assumed that if that were true, that room would likely hold more clues. So I went to check...And that's when I finally remembered. I remembered that my purpose was to find the owner of that room."

"So you went there to see if the headmaster really did have a private room there..." Makoto guessed.

Kyoko nodded and continued "But once I got there, I noticed that the 2nd floor of the dorms didn't have any cameras or monitors. Which is why I had no idea what was going on in the rest of the building. I was so preoccupied with investigating that room. It was unforgivingly careless of me…" _If I had been more cautious, then maybe we never would have been forced into finding you guilty…_

"No, it wasn't careless. Like you said, we had to be bold and take some risks. You were doing everything you could to investigate and get us closer to escaping this place! Nobody could fault you for that..."

Kyoko smiled at Makoto's attempts to cheer her up. Makoto, in an attempt to divert the conversation from the dark turn it had taken, asked what the second floor was like.

 _Like hell..._ Shaking her head, Kyoko replied "It's hard to describe. All I can say is...The moment I saw it, I realized...whatever's going on in this school is more horrific than we ever imagined."

Makoto stepped back in shock at Kyoko's revelation. After seeing people get shot to death with baseballs, turned into butter, and run over by a fire engine while being burned at the stake, he couldn't imagine something more horrific than any of those executions.

"Wh-What do you mean…?"

"I can't explain it. You need to see it for yourself. And I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough."

 _I don't think I want to see it… "_ So when you said that you had no idea what was going on in the rest of the building...You're talking about Mukuro Ikusaba, right? _"_

Nodding, Kyoko clarified "Just to be perfectly clear, I didn't kill her. And I know it wasn't you either."

 _I never believed you did kill her…_ "So then who did kill her?"

"What I can say for sure is that the mastermind is directly involved. To begin with, the point of the class trial of Mukuro Ikusaba...was to get me killed."

Makoto's blood ran cold at Kyoko's revelation, visions of Kyoko getting squashed like a pancake filling his mind.

 _That's why she was so adamant about ensuring she survived the trial…_

"I stole that key and disappeared, and in retaliation they wanted to draw me out and eliminate me. That was the point of the class trial. The mastermind knew they couldn't interfere directly."

Makoto guessed "You mean...because of the school regulations?"

"Exactly. Remember rule 4? With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion." Makoto's eyes lit in comprehension as Kyoko continued "The mastermind is adamant about following the rules, and with that rule in place, they couldn't step in. Since they couldn't kill me themselves, they tried to use the class trial to do it."

 _So the mastermind is bound by the rules as well?_

Makoto's pondering was interrupted when Kyoko spoke "There's one other thing I'd like to point out about the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba…" _He has to know...I can't protect him from this…_ Reluctantly, Kyoko revealed "There was a point where Mukuro may not have become the victim...It could have been you, Makoto…!"

Makoto's eyes widened as he shook, overcome by this new revelation.

"I could have become the victim…?"

Seeing his state of panic, Kyoko grabbed his shoulders and urged "Makoto, calm down! You're safe right now, so please relax..."

Focusing on her calming voice, Makoto took a deep breath and felt himself become calmer.

"Sorry, Kyoko..."

Shaking her head, she assured him "It's okay. Now...You know what I'm talking about, right?"

 _Wait..._ Makoto flashed back to the night that he was literally sick with worry and realized _During the night?_

Seeing Makoto's comprehension, Kyoko explained "I can hear them, you know. The footsteps of the god of death. I can hear the god of death as he moves. That ability naturally draws me into cases, just like this. Which is exactly what happened with you...I was in the dorms, and I had a sudden sense of dread. I looked down the stairwell...and I saw a white shadow cross the corridor. I gave chase right away. As I followed it, I saw the shadow go into your room...I ran into your room, and I saw what was happening. I intervened immediately, of course."

 _So it's true, you...you really saved me back then. You stayed during the night...and watched over me..._

Makoto was overcome with awe and gratitude at the lengths Kyoko went to protect him that night.

 _That trial, what happened...it doesn't even matter anymore! Because when I was in immediate danger...she came through!_

"That wasn't the end of things, of course. I stopped them, but that led to...Whoever the masked assailant was, they ended up dead. And their murder was disguised, and the dojo key wound up in my room...It all has to be the work of the mastermind, in an attempt to use the class trial to eliminate me…"

Makoto reasoned "So all this would mean that whoever killed Mukuro is also the mastermind, right?"

"I don't have conclusive evidence, but that's what I think."

Makoto lamented "But that's really bad if it's true. It means the mastermind can kill whoever they want if they feel like it." Makoto's eyes widened as he realized "Wait, but doesn't that create another contradiction? The mastermind wanted to use the class trial to try and kill you cuz they couldn't interfere, right?"

 _Very good, Makoto._ "You're right. That is a contradiction. And it's not just Mukuro...They needed the class trial to kill you, but seemed ready to kill you in your room...Everything they did is a contradiction."

"So...what does it all mean?" _I don't understand this at all..._

"It means that the mastermind is the one who's been cornered."

 _But who is the mastermind?_

"Just a little more...A little more, and I should be able to figure out the mastermind's identity. The identity of...the other Ultimate Despair."

"The other Ultimate Despair?" _Wait, but Mukuro was the Ultimate Soldier, so how could she be an Ultimate Despair? And now you're telling me..._

"There's no doubt that Mukuro was the Ultimate Despair, and that she's dead. But I don't think the Ultimate Despair is just one person."

"It's not..." _How could that be?_

Kyoko explained "If you think about it, the Ultimate Despair seems to implicate whoever caused that event."

Makoto's eyes glowed with grim understanding as he started "You're talking about..."

Kyoko finished "...what happened a year ago - the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history. That despicable group whose only purpose and motivation comes from despair…"

"Then they're..."

Seeing Makoto starting to grasp where she was going with this, she finished "Make no mistake...They're the root of all the evil that has forced us to go through this. That is the Ultimate Despair. And that is our real enemy."

 _The Ultimate Despair...they created the Tragedy, and they're our enemy? Who locked us all here and made us kill each other to create despair?_


	7. Chapter Six: Ultimate Pain

A/N: Alright, we've finished the final main chapter of the game! All that's left is the epilogue, and this journey will come to a close. This chapter ended up being longer than I had ever planned; over 22,000 words! Let me know what you think in the review section. I should have the epilogue chapter done soon, so until then, enjoy!

Chapter Six: Ultimate Pain, Ultimate Suffering, Ultimate Despair, Ultimate Execution, Ultimate Death

 _The Ultimate Despair…_

"Right now we have to get out of this horrible place. Figuring out the rest of the story can come after."

Shaken out of his pondering by Kyoko's interjection, Makoto nodded, looking towards the locked door in front of them.

"Kyoko, do you still have that one thing?"

Smiling, Kyoko twirled the Monokuma Key around her finger and replied "Of course I do. It's an absolutely vital part of ensnaring the mastermind. I would never part with it."

"And it can open any door in the school, right?"

"That's right."

"So we can use that key of yours to open this door, right?"

Kyoko smirked as she coyly challenged "Let's find out."

Kyoko inserted the key into the lock and twisted, causing a clicking sound to echo from the keyhole as the door swung open.

Beaming, Makoto bounced up and down as he cheered "Yes! It worked!"

Amused by Makoto's joy, Kyoko said "And now we can get out of here. Let's go."

"Sounds good." Smiling, he stared into the dark exit and exclaimed "Well, what are we waiting for? Last one to the exit is a rotten egg!"

He dashed through the doorway, leaving Kyoko standing there in the dust.

 _So...energetic…_

Shaking her head in amusement, Kyoko leisurely followed him, silently eager to rejoin the others at Hope's Peak Academy.

XXX

"Whoa!"

Makoto stared up at the seemingly nonexistent ceiling of the long vertical corridor they were in, decorated only with a single metal ladder bolted to the wall.

Seeing Makoto's shocked expression, Kyoko smirked and teased "Where'd all that enthusiasm of yours go?"

Makoto chuckled nervously as he stared at the ladder, growing more and more nervous the longer he thought about how high up it went.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and told him "Well, what are you waiting for? You won't find the exit unless you start climbing..."

Makoto nodded and nervously walked up to the ladder, gingerly placing his right hand and foot on the first step. Once he found his grip, he repeated with his left appendages. Turning to look at Kyoko, he saw her smile encouragingly at him.

"You're doing fine. Just keep going; I'll be right behind you."

"Yeah."

Gathering his courage, he continued to climb up, soon hearing soft clangs below him as Kyoko followed him.

"I had no idea we were so far down..."

Kyoko cautioned "Don't lose your footing. If you slip, I won't be able to catch you…" _Liar. Of course I'll catch you…_

Oblivious to her lie, Makoto murmured his agreement and continued climbing. To ward off his nervousness at climbing up so high, Makoto decided to engage in small talk with the Ultimate Detective.

"Um, so Kyoko...there's something I wanted to ask you."

Genuinely curious, Kyoko replied "What is it?"

"You said you're the Ultimate Detective, right? So how long have you been doing detective work?"

 _I haven't regained all my memories, but…_ "How long…? Ever since I can remember." Even though she couldn't see Makoto's curious expression, she explained "I come from a long line of detectives. Detective work is in my blood. There was a time when being a detective was considered a sacred duty. My family's always seen it that way."

"Then...is your family famous?" _It would make sense; if someone like Byakuya was invited to come here in part because of the Togami name, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say the Kirigiri name was a factor in Kyoko's enrollment._

Kyoko shook her head and replied "Quite the opposite, actually. Even among actual detectives, many people haven't heard of us."

Shocked, Makoto stammered "But...How come?"

"Because we take pride in it. A detective is neither light nor shadow. We represent neither justice nor evil. That is how we can uncover the absolute truth. We stand neutral in all things. And to do that, we have to stand separate from the rest of society. Which is why we've made a conscious effort to conceal our existence."

"A conscious effort…?" _...I guess that's why she was so distant and nonsocial when we first met._

Kyoko admitted "It's kind of old-fashioned, and I can't say it's entirely rational...But it's our family creed, and we do must we must to protect it. Because, like I said, it's our source of pride."

 _So that explains it...why I couldn't find out anything about her before I came here...she hid herself to protect the Kirigiri pride…_

"And yet...I...gave up some of that pride."

 _She gave up her pride?_

"In order to enter Hope's Peak, I had to reveal myself to the school. I did it knowing it was something a true Kirigiri detective would never do."

 _I get it...the reason she gave up that pride…_ "It was because that's how much you wanted to reconnect with your dad, right? There's no shame in that." _She must love her father very much, to go so far…_

Kyoko ruefully smiled and shook her head.

 _If only it were so simple...Makoto, you have no concept of my past, so you could never hope to truly understand._

"Reconnect…? I had absolutely no desire to reconnect with my father."

"Huh…?" _But I don't understand. She was so dedicated to finding her father. If it wasn't to rebuild the bond between father and daughter, then what was her motivation?_

"There's nothing I want to talk to my father about. There is something I want to say to him, though."

 _I'm almost afraid to ask but…_ "What…?"

Determination in her voice, she explained "No matter what it takes, I have to find him and tell him, face to face…I want to sever all ties with him."

Makoto almost stumbled, shocked and appalled by Kyoko's revealed motivation.

 _Sever? She wants to cut herself off from her father? But why? I could never...think of severing myself from my father…_

Sighing, Kyoko explained "The last time I saw him...I was still very young. So I don't remember myself, but apparently he was extremely intelligent. He was in line to become the next head of the Kirigiri family. He was talented, he had a promising future. But he had no interest in detective work. So he cut himself off from the family. Not long after that, my mother died, and he simply...ran away. He went to my grandfather, and they had a huge argument. And young as I was...he left me behind."

 _So that's why she wants to sever ties with him. She feels abandoned by her father. For Kyoko to lose her mother so young, and to have her father run away...it makes sense that she wouldn't want anything to do with him. But still...why did he run away? Why didn't he try to take her with him? Be the father that she needed?_ Trying to convince himself more than Kyoko, he weakly defended "I-I'm sure he had a reason for that. I'm sure your dad wanted to take you with him."

 _...Is this your attempt to try and comfort me, Makoto? If I actually cared about my father, then that might ring true. But...it's different with me._ With a hint of bitterness in her voice, she replied "If that's true, then I need to thank him. Thank him for leaving me...Because unlike him, I take pride in the work I do. I take pride in my family name. So every last part of me is happy he didn't take me with him. If I'd gone with him, I never would have had the chance to become a detective."

Although Makoto couldn't see it, Kyoko's eyes had taken an angry and hurt expression. The Ultimate Detective was secretly thankful that Makoto couldn't see her face, so that he couldn't try to understand her more than he already was.

 _Are you happy? Are you really unaffected by your father's abandonment?_

"I don't blame him, you know. He had his own life to live. That's what anyone in my position might say, right? But it's not true...But there's one thing...One thing I can never forgive."

"Really…? And what...can't you forgive? What did your father do to you?"

Gritting her teeth, Kyoko admitted "What I can't forgive him for is...The way everyone else looked at me. I was never sad about being left behind. Like I said, I think it was a good thing. But when the rest of my family looked at me, they saw something different. They only saw me as the little girl that was abandoned by her father. That's how they see me even to this day."

 _...That's not how I see you. I don't see you as your father's daughter. I see the amazing detective who's saved my life more times than I can count!_

"His shadow has been following me my entire life. I'm sick of it. I need him out of my life. I need to step out of his shadow. That's why I have to find him, and tell him we're no longer family. In order to settle the past...In order to remove him from my life forever...I have no doubt he forgot about me years ago."

Despite what Kyoko had told him, Makoto had trouble believing that Kyoko's father thought nothing of her.

 _Maybe I'm biased, what with being showered with affection by my own father._ "B-But...you're family. To just cut him out like that..."

 _I knew you wouldn't be able to understand, Makoto._ She shook her head and replied "Our only connection is through blood, nothing more. Are we connected by heart and soul? No. Is blood really enough to call someone family?"

 _What can I possibly say? How can I truly understand how she feels? I can't really blame her for not thinking of her father as her family, and I can't exactly prove that she was more than a blood connection to her father, so I can't honestly say that her father loved her…_

Makoto dropped the conversation, hearing a sigh of relief from Kyoko a few seconds later.

 _It must have been hard...for her to tell me about a painful part of her past...she really trusts me._

Smiling a faint smile, he continued climbing until they reached a metal hatch on the ceiling.

 _That must be the hatch I unlocked earlier…_ "On the other side of this door...Hope's Peak is waiting for us."

"We're...back."

Kyoko heard the hope in his voice, making her smile as she continued "Remember that hatch on the ground near the trash room? I'm fairly certain that's where we'll come out. I unlocked it earlier, so it should open without much trouble."

Nodding, Makoto held one hand on the hatch and declared "Right. Hope's Peak, here we come!"

He pushed with all his might, the hatch easily giving way. Feeling for the floor above him, Makoto hoisted himself up and out of the corridor. One he was on sure ground, he reached his hand down the hatch. Seeing what Makoto had in mind, Kyoko grasped his hand with her own and felt Makoto hoist her up and plant her next to him on the floor. Makoto and Kyoko panted, exhausted, before falling on their backs. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then burst into simultaneous laughter.

"Looks like we're back."

"But I can't believe how long that ladder was. I'm exhausted…"

"Kyoko..." He took her hand in his own and exclaimed "Thank you. I never would have gotten out of there without you."

Blushing, she took her hand out of his grip and looked away, an expression of guilt on her face as she replied "No thanks necessary. I was just returning the favor." _Don't thank me when I'm the reason you were down there…_

Makoto looked at her, concerned at the sudden shift in mood, but Kyoko waved off his concerns, assuring him that she was fine.

 _Okay, so we're back at Hope's Peak Academy...but it's still only a matter of time before Monokuma finds out I escaped and decides to punish me...and maybe Kyoko too…_

Makoto shivered, causing Kyoko to look at him and ask what was wrong.

"So...now what do we do? If the mastermind finds out...And I'm worried about you, too. You helped me, so they might..."

"You're worried?" _He barely survives being executed, and his first concern is whether I'll be okay?_

"Y-Yeah, of course."

Kyoko felt her heart flutter as she thought it over.

 _Eventually, Monokuma will find us. We have to find a way to convince the mastermind to spare Makoto. But how? They seemed intent on killing Makoto as a plan B, and we didn't have a clear suspect during that last trial. Wait, the trial! Aoi told me on the elevator that Monokuma was broadcasting our lives on the airwaves. If I can convince him that executing Makoto now would make the mastermind out to be the loser, we might stand a chance! It's a gamble we have to take!_ She looked at Makoto and answered "Then let's just get a concrete answer."

"Huh?" _What concrete answer? And from who?_

"Let's ask Monokuma if there's a problem with you escaping."

Makoto blanched in horror at Kyoko's suggestion.

"W-Wait, that's - !"

Before Makoto could panic, Kyoko reasoned "If we try to hide, it's only a matter of time till we're found out. And it's not like we can run away."

"So you're saying rather than stressing out over getting caught, we should just give up now?"

Makoto hung his head in despair, only to be lifted up by Kyoko's hand so that he was looking at her, an assuring smile directed right at him.

"Don't worry. What you think is going to happen, isn't. Because the mastermind is the one that's ensnared."

Confused, Makoto asked "What does it mean…?"

"The mastermind stood exposed during the investigation into Mukuro's death. There was a moment where the mastermind let their guard down."

"There was…?" _So...it's not hopeless?_

Seeing Makoto's eyes regain a spark of hope, Kyoko replied "If we can talk to Monokuma, we can confirm it. And it'll be better for us if we go to him directly before he tracks us down. That should help with our negotiations…"

Makoto sighed with uneasiness and anxiety as he acquiesced "We don't really have a choice, do we?"

"Monokuma should be in the gym. Let's get going."

Makoto and Kyoko stood up, the Ultimate Lucky Student still rattled by Kyoko's shaky plan to negotiate with Monokuma for his life.

 _You really think the bear can be negotiated with? Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical…_

Seeing his anxiety, Kyoko wrapped her left hand around his right and squeezed in comfort. Makoto gasped, looking down at their intertwined hands, then looking up to see Kyoko's hopeful smile.

"It'll be okay, Makoto. Monokuma won't hurt you again, I promise."

Kyoko squeezed his hand one more time, making the two Ultimates blush, before walking, still hand in hand, to the gym. Makoto still fretted about his fate, but found comfort in Kyoko's grasp and words.

 _I'm trusting you, Kyoko. I'm trusting you to protect me. I know you won't let me down!_

XXX

"HEY!"

Makoto steeped back behind Kyoko, clearly scared of the sadistic bear and what he might do. Kyoko wordlessly squeezed his hand in comfort and assurance, giving Makoto the courage he needed to step back in view as Monokuma waddled up to them.

"Kyoko I don't mind so much."

 _Considering your plan A was to execute her, I doubt that…_

"But Makoto's supposed to be dead. What's HE doing here?" He pointed one paw at the Ultimate Detective and accused "Did Kyoko help you?"

"So what if I did? I'm sorry, is that against the rules? What will you do?"

Monokuma started growling about how he would execute Makoto a second time, making the Ultimate Lucky Student sweat in fear.

 _No, once was traumatizing enough!_ "K-Kyoko…!" _I knew this would happen. Kyoko, a little help here…_

"Do whatever you feel you have to."

"What!?" _Then what was all that about the mastermind being cornered? Don't just let him have his way with me!_

"But before you do, let me just say one thing."

 _Huh?_

Kyoko smiled at him before addressing Monokuma "If you execute Makoto, that means you lose. Not that that matters to you, right?"

Shocked, Monokuma uttered "I beg your pardon?"

"Well you set up this latest class trial yourself, right? I was getting in your way, so you wanted an excuse to kill me. I was supposed to be chosen as the blackened and then executed, right?"

Steaming, Monokuma roared "H-Hey, what are you talking about!?"

Ignoring him, Kyoko continued "But when Makoto chose to overlook my lie, your plan came crashing down. The results of the trial weren't at all what you were expecting. Because you never imagined that in that position, one person would protect another like that."

She glanced toward Makoto, smiling at him as his eyes widened in realization of her gamble. Makoto smiled back, playing along with her strategy.

 _Of course I would protect you._

"And in response to that unexpected development...you reacted by proclaiming Makoto the blackened and trying to execute him. You made the choice out of desperation. No, more than that...You must have realized that Makoto, who refused to be manipulated, was a threat to you, as well."

 _Damn straight; I didn't even vote!_

Makoto couldn't help but smile smugly as Monokuma was shocked into silence.

"But then there was another unexpected development waiting for you. An entity that would throw a wrench, so to speak, in your precious execution machinery."

"Alter Ego..."

Kyoko closed her eyes for a moment, thinking _If it wasn't for Alter Ego, Makoto would be dead._ "You never imagined the possibility of a being that could come to our aid even after you'd killed it." She opened her eyes, pointed her finger at Monokuma, and accused "Now, here's the absolute truth. Makoto didn't kill Mukuro. You did. So executing Makoto for it would surely be a violation of your rules, which I know you love so much. If the blackened is exposed, they alone will be executed. That's what you told us, right?"

Scowling, Monokuma challenged "You talk a big game. You're saying the blackened is me and not Makoto? And you can prove this, right?"

"No, I can't."

 _What are you doing, Kyoko? If we can't prove it, then it's curtains for me and possibly you!_

His panic was short lived, for Kyoko elaborated "I don't have any right now, but with a little more time I guarantee I'll find some. Because no matter how deeply you try to bury it, there is only ever one absolute truth. If Makoto really was the killer, he never would have come to you willingly like this. He would have feared for his life, feared another execution. He would have tried to run and hide. He would have been gripped by the despair you so love to inspire."

 _The only reason I didn't do that was because you told me it was futile…_

Smirking, Kyoko finished "But here we are - confronting you with nothing but hope in our hearts."

"And that's supposed to be enough to convince me in the absence of evidence?"

 _He's kind of got a point. What's your ace, Kyoko?_

Kyoko shook her head and replied "It's not you I'm trying to convince. If you were to execute Makoto now, everyone out there watching this would be extremely displeased."

 _Watching? Wait, she must have found out about how we're all being broadcasted. She's using the TV audience as leverage!_

Makoto smiled at Kyoko as she continued "Imagine what everyone out there would think if you killed Makoto...They would assume that you killed him because what we said is exactly right."

"Oh dear..." Monokuma uttered as he stumbled backwards, making Kyoko and Makoto smirk.

"Sorry, dirty tricks will never persuade your viewers that hope is dead. Because you see..." She pointed her finger at Monokuma and declared "Despair can never kill hope."

Monokuma growled, making Kyoko smirk in victory.

 _Just a little more and we'll corner him!_ "Of course, you can say we're just making this all up. You're welcome to prove us wrong." She shook her head and declared "No, you have no choice but to prove it. Because if you kill Makoto without proving your own innocence, you'll be accepting your own defeat. If you want to earn our despair fair and square...then I suggest you take my advice."

Seething, Monokuma growled "So? What is this advice of yours?"

 _And now for my ace!_ "To do Mukuro's trial all over again. Only this time, you follow the school regulations to ensure a fair trial. No tricks, no manipulating the outcome!" Staring down Monokuma and pointing her finger at him, Kyoko continued "Consider it the final battle if you like. It's time for one last showdown - one final battle between hope...and despair! Well? That would make for a proper climax, wouldn't you say?"

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized _A retrial! So this is what Kyoko was aiming for. But what reason would the mastermind have to agree to such a proposal?_

"Kehehe...interesting...Beary Interesting indeed!"

 _Huh?_ "Beary?"

"Oh, I was getting bored, so I decided to change things up a little. So, time for bear jokes!"

 _Bear jokes? Now?_

Makoto watched, baffled as Monokuma ranted "Now, what you've suggested might be pawsible. It would certainly make for one honey of a climax!"

Unamused, Kyoko asked "Does that mean you accept?"

"It would cause you unbearable despair, right? Then I'm prebeared to agree to your terms! Challenge accepted! Will your hope win out, Or will my desbear claim victory…? Let's have one final grizzly showdown!"

Makoto fought back a beaming smile as he thought in astonishment _He agreed...We still have a shot!_

His internal smile was wiped away when Monokuma interjected "But with the caveat that we give your grand finale a little more kick. This is the long awaited climax, right? Just guessing the killer is bearly a fitting end. Can't just go with the whole and the murder is routine, ne?" Sporting an evil smile, Monokuma cackled "No no, an epic showdown of these proportions calls for some high stakes razzle dazzle!"

At this, Makoto nervously asked "What did you have in mind?"

"I'm glad you asked. So for this final face-off, you'll have to unearth all the mysteries that have been bearied here!"

"All the mysteries…?"

"That's right. Every last mystery that's pawing around the school. If you can do that...then that'll be enough to koalafy as a victory for you, and I'll concede defeat! You and your surviving cohorts go free!"

Smirking, Kyoko replied "That's what we've been trying to do all along…"

"Okay, well, good! Then let's bear it all! If you can claw your way to the truth of Mukuro's death, AND solve the mysteries of this school...then you win!"

 _For the mastermind to propose a trial where we get to leave if we win...there's no way this is like a normal trial. There's gotta be a catch…_

"And the catch..." Kyoko asked, making Makoto glad that they were on the same page.

Makoto shivered at the evil glint in Monokuma's eye as he started "But fail to solve the mystery, if you can't do all that..."

"We'll all face execution. Right?"

Makoto gaped at the catch, realizing just what they were agreeing to.

 _This really is an all-or-nothing gamble here!_

Nodding, Monokuma cackled "They don't call you an Ultimate Detective for nothing! Kehehe...I can bearly contain my excitement...When you learn the whole truth...what kind of despair will you show me?"

Chuckling, Kyoko replied "We're as excited as you are, I'm sure."

 _Excited isn't really the word I'd use, Kyoko…_

"When we've uncovered every last truth, how will the Ultimate Despair reveal their own despair…?" As Makoto stood there, his head spinning from the turn of events, Kyoko asked "But before we get started, I want to clarify one more thing. Do you remember the rule? When one student kills another, that's when a class trial is held."

Holding his paw to his chin, Monokuma replied coyly "I remember that, fur sure. So what?"

"I just want to confirm, that is what you said, right? And it's a true statement?"

Sighing, Monokuma replied "I've said it before, but it bears repeating...Everything is based on the school regulations. And having a trial for Mukuro is no exception to that."

This statement just left Makoto even more confused, leading Monokuma to disclose another hint; that the game started with sixteen students, who were the only ones to step into Hope's Peak Academy since the game started.

 _Stop speaking in riddles. You're making my brain hurt!_

Kyoko meanwhile pressed "Are you telling the truth?"

Monokuma went silent, making Makoto worry. Then Monokuma roared at them to get lost.

"He seems...emotionally unstable."

As Monokuma roared at them to get lost again, Makoto questioned whether Monokuma was really going to just let him leave. The bear shrugged that he'd get his punishment later, and shooed them out, saying he had to prepare their punishment.

To Makoto's astonishment, Monokuma started dancing on the floor, cheering "This'll be spectacular! Hope doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hades against despair once you rugrats know the truth!"

 _Okay, he's lost it…_

Kyoko smirked and countered "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. We may have a few surprises in store. The despair you keep prattling about might just be yours." She turned around and started walking away, calling out "Come on, Makoto. Let's go."

Makoto nodded and ran up behind her, latching onto her hand for protection until they got out of the gym and away from Monokuma's immediate sight.

XXX

Makoto sighed in relief, amazed that he had walked out of there with his life. He looked toward Kyoko, beaming at her with gratitude.

"Kyoko...thank you. Everything I have right now is because of you."

Frowning, Kyoko replied "Don't thank me just yet. The real battle is still ahead of us." Smiling, Kyoko continued "But still, I'm glad it worked out. I wasn't sure if the enemy would accept my proposal."

"Why would the mastermind agree to it?" Makoto wondered.

"They had no choice but to accept. It's all because of that one moment that the mastermind let down their guard, like I said."

"So what moment was it that the mastermind let their guard down…?"

"I wasn't there to hear it myself, but do you remember what the mastermind said? They said they had hijacked the airwaves to broadcast our school life to the outside world, right?"

Makoto nodded to indicate that he was following her so far.

"And what did you think when you heard that? Pretty hard to believe, right?"

"Well...,I mean, the idea of actually taking over the airwaves seems so...unbelievable." _Sounds like something in a Saturday morning cartoon. It's hard to believe that this is actually happening in real life..._

"You don't exactly read about something like that happening very often, so it's hard to imagine. In other words, that kind of thing is extremely difficult to pull off. And yet somehow...the mastermind was able to do it." _I'm still not sure exactly how, but I guess we'll figure it out during the trial…_ Shaking away the thought for the time being, Kyoko continued "But think of it another way - there must have been some reason they had to do something that difficult."

"A reason…?" _What reason could she be implying?_

Seeing Makoto's confused expression, Kyoko explained "They had to show the world something, no matter the cost - us killing each other."

"They wanted to show the world…?"

Makoto shuddered at how anybody could actually find entertainment in that, like Monokuma said.

"The mastermind has been very adamant about not killing us directly, but forcing us to kill each other. And all their rules and regulations were designed to encourage that."

Nodding, Makoto grit his teeth and lamented "If those stupid regulations didn't exist, nobody would've killed anybody..." _Sayaka, Junko, Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, Kiyotaka, Hifumi, Celeste, Sakura, and Alter Ego. They'd all still be safe, living happy lives. Plus, they tried to target Kyoko and have her executed. I can't forgive them!_

Kyoko mused "So the mastermind's ultimate goal was to make us kill each other, and show that off to the world."

"But...why?" _What sense is there in that?_

"To prove a point, most likely."

"Prove...a point?" _What point could possibly be proven from that?_

"The outside world has a name for the students of Hope's Peak, right? A certain concept…"

His eyes widening in epiphany, Makoto asked "You're talking about hope, right?"

 _Very good, Makoto…_ Kyoko nodded and continued "And for those of us who represent hope to kill each other and sink into despair...The mastermind wants the world to see that, to try and prove that despair is better than hope. That's their goal, as the Ultimate Despair."

Makoto stepped back, astonished by Kyoko's assertion as he stammered "But that...that's ridiculous!" _They want to prove despair is better than hope? How is that even a remotely rational motive for a sadistic scheme like this?_

Kyoko lamented "You're right. It is ridiculous, completely irrational. It's the kind of thing that nobody but those who call themselves the Ultimate Despair would devise. That group whose only purpose and motivation comes from despair…"

"B-But - ! Is that really their only reason for making the rest of us suffer!?" _A group that orchestrated a mass genocide, just for despair? This is…_

Makoto's eyes narrowed as he felt his blood boil at the motivation that his friends had died for. He was brought back to his normal state of mind when Kyoko squeezed his hand, her lavender eyes staring sympathetically into his own.

"I know how angry it must make you. And yet...that same motivation is what led to the mastermind revealing their weakness."

 _Their weakness? But what could that have been?_

Seeing Makoto come up empty after racking his brain, Kyoko explained "Because their goal is to broadcast this killing game to the world...the mastermind has had to be more particular than is reasonable about their own regulations. If the mastermind simply ignored their rules, this wouldn't have been a game, but a one-sided slaughter. At least, that's how those who are watching this would have seen it."

"And that's why the mastermind couldn't kill any of us themselves?"

"That is precisely the reason. No matter how much they may hate what I'm doing, I haven't violated a single one of their regulations. Junko broke the rules, so she was punished. But in my case, they couldn't lay a finger on me. So instead, they tried to use the class trial, following all their proper rules, to get me killed. They began a trial that didn't have a right answer, then made me out to be the killer."

Makoto smiled as he interjected "But even that didn't work..."

Looking at him gratefully, Kyoko answered "Yes, thanks to you. And due to that failure, the mastermind took yet another risk. They attempted to kill you instead, who also was not the killer."

She looked away, shame filling her as she thought back to that last trial.

 _I'll never forgive myself for setting you up like that, no matter how long I live…_

Her guilt trip was interrupted when Makoto concluded "And when that fact was exposed on live TV to the entire outside world...the mastermind had to accept your suggestion?"

Kyoko refocused her gaze on the Ultimate Lucky Student and nodded, explaining "To prove to the world that despair is better than hope, they have to defeat us in perfect form...It would only do the mastermind harm to have it shown that they'd violated their own regulations."

"But all of that was just a hunch, right? And you were still able to get the mastermind to accept your challenge..."

Smiling wistfully, Kyoko admitted "Well, it's only thanks to you that we got that chance. Because you believed in me, another path opened up."

 _Of course I believed in you. How could I not?_ Makoto looked at her, grateful and amazed as he replied "Still, I can't believe how much of the mastermind's thoughts and plans you were able to figure out. I didn't have the slightest clue…"

Shaking her head at Makoto's praise of her, she admitted "In the end, though, I couldn't prove any of it. It was just my reasoning. Essentially, I was making a bet. But it looks like I got it right. This time at least, I won the bet."

 _Okay, you deserve the Ultimate Gambler title for pulling this off…_

Makoto watched as she breathed out a sigh of relief, showing her nervousness openly in front of him.

Kyoko suddenly burst into laughter for a few seconds before admitting "To be honest, I haven't been that nervous in a long time."

"I totally couldn't tell you were nervous at all..." Makoto told her in admiration.

Chuckling, Kyoko replied "Well, presenting a strong demeanor is a fundamental part of negotiation and persuasion, wouldn't you say? Plus, if I'd showed my uneasiness, that would have just made you that much more uneasy."

 _She's right. If I was that uneasy when she was right next to me and holding my hand, if she had showed as much nervousness as I did, I'd probably be…_

"Anyway, we can't relax just yet. All we've done is earn another chance to fight. We have to win this time. Or everything we've gone through will have been for nothing…"

Nodding, Makoto replied with conviction "You're right." _There's no option but to win!_

Seeing Makoto clench is fist in front of him, Kyoko smiled, proud of him.

 _At last you've found it. Your courage, your resolve…_ Her smile turning into a frown, she then said "But before we begin the final battle, we have to tell the others what's going on."

Nodding, Makoto countered "But now we know who our real enemy we have to do now is work together with everyone to destroy the mastermind…!"

"Work together with everyone...Is that really possible?"

"Huh?" His eyes widened as he realized _Of course; she's still uneasy about working with others. It took her so long to ask me for help, working with the others must be…_

Makoto lay his hand on her shoulder, making the Ultimate Detective look at him in surprise.

"Kyoko, I understand how apprehensive you are about this. You're used to working alone, and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to gather the resolve to ask me alone for help. But trust me, working together is our best bet for getting out of this place alive. So let's unite; trust in everyone else like you trusted me..."

Smiling wistfully, Kyoko thought _...I guess you do understand me after all. Makoto...I want to believe you. Really I do. But...what if…_ Shaking her head, she removed his hand from her shoulder, replying "Anyway, right now we have to go find the others. They're probably in the dorms somewhere. Shall we go?"

Seeing Makoto nod, she walked off, the Ultimate Lucky Student following closely behind her.

 _We're really gonna see everyone again! I'm coming back to them alive!_

XXX

"I suppose his emotional instability reached its limit."

Makoto stood in the dining hall, bewildered as Monokuma was spouting random gibberish at him and Kyoko before slinking away.

Kyoko mused "I wonder what that was all about…"

As Makoto sighed in relief, he heard a shout of surprise and turned around, seeing Aoi, Byakuya, Yasuhiro, and Toko stare at him with shock on their faces.

Tears forming in his eyes, Makoto yelled "Y-You guys!"

The four ran towards Makoto, only to step back when they got close, confusing Makoto.

"Wait...what's that smell?"

"It's Makoto! He smells like a wet dog!"

 _Well I did spend goodness knows how long in a literal dump..._

"G-Get away! Shoo! Shoo!"

Makoto felt his eyes dry up as he thought _Come on guys; I can't smell THAT bad…_

Watching the exchange with some amusement, Kyoko coughed to get everyone's attention.

"There's no time to indulge in an extended happy reunion. We need to explain to everyone what happened with Monokuma."

Byakuya's interest was piqued, while Yasuhiro asked if it was okay for Makoto to be here.

"That's related to what I have to tell you all. We're going to redo Mukuro's trial."

Aoi expressed shock at the idea of a retrial, while Yasuhiro asked what the point would be, still convinced that Makoto had killed Ikusaba.

Makoto facepalmed and groaned "No, I didn't do it! Like I keep telling you..."

Kyoko interjected "Makoto isn't the killer. And of course it's not me or any of you."

Byakuya was the first to catch on, deducing that it was the work of the mastermind, and leaving Yasuhiro shocked.

"That's right. It was all an elaborate trap contrived by the mastermind. Makoto spotted the trap in time, and did what he had to to stop it. But his decision meant that he would be the one to die."

Byakuya expressed surprise that Makoto spotted the trap, making the Ultimate Lucky Student rub the back of his neck and sheepishly claimed that Byakuya was making it sound easy.

Rolling her eyes at Makoto's modesty, Kyoko continued "But executing Makoto, who wasn't the blackened, is a clear violation of the school regulations. The rules state that only the blackened is to be executed. The mastermind broke their own rules. Which is why I went and negotiated with them to have the trial one more time."

Aoi expressed shock, while Byakuya deduced that she used the TV broadcast as leverage to get the mastermind to agree.

"Very observant of you."

After some back and forth between Byakuya and Yasuhiro, Aoi asked for clarification on their goal of exposing the mastermind, and Byakuya correctly guessed that this trial would have more to it than that. Makoto informed them that they had to solve all the mysteries of the school in order to win.

As Aoi dismally claimed that they still didn't know much after all the time they spent plundering the school for clues, Kyoko informed them "You've probably guessed already, but if we lose this time...everyone dies."

Yasuhiro expressed shock, while Toko angrily told Kyoko not to make decisions for them without consulting them, before ranting that she was fine living there with Byakuya. Her dreams were dashed however when the Progeny in question voiced that he wanted to get out ASAP.

Coughing, Kyoko redirected "Anyway, at this point the only way for us to survive is to unravel the truth."

Byakuya smirked, finding the idea of one final showdown an entertaining development.

 _Really, Byakuya? Our one chance to get out of this with our heads intact and you still view this as a game?_

Aoi and Yasuhiro lamented that to uncover everything required of them was a really tall order. Of course, this fired up Makoto to cheer them up.

Clenching his right fist, he encouraged "Maybe, but this time the trial is different. We know who our enemy is now. So if we work together and search as hard as we can, I'm sure we'll solve all those mysteries!"

"I'm not so sure about that. I can't agree with the idea of working together with everyone."

That shook Makoto out of his good mood as he stared incredulously at Kyoko.

 _Huh? But what about the whole speech I gave outside the gym? Did my words mean nothing at all, Kyoko?_ A little hurt, Makoto stammered "Why not..? I mean, working together with everyone seems like the most obvious way to solve all the mysteries..."

"That's what I thought, too...at first. Until Monokuma gave us that little hint of his…"

Kyoko divulged that only sixteen students entered the Academy since the game began, leading Byakuya to agree with her reasoning. Toko, Aoi, and Yasuhiro immediately started panicking at Byakuya's assertion that the mastermind was one of them, making Makoto panic and jump in to try and keep the group together.

"W-Wait! We can't say for sure that's true yet! Monokuma might have just said all that to confuse us…!"

 _I'm sorry, Makoto. I want to believe that, but the stakes are too high not to consider it…_ "It's certainly a possibility. But only one among many...The mastermind being one of us is also a possibility."

As Byakuya and Toko agreed that they couldn't ignore it, Makoto felt his heart crack as he felt the unity in the group dissipate.

Makoto brought up the point that one of them would have had to be controlling Monokuma, and challenged everyone to come up with a single incident of one of them acting strangely when Monokuma was around. Toko stammered that the mastermind could have snuck off in secret, but Aoi countered that they would have noticed if someone snuck off that many times. Yasuhiro suggested that Monokuma was on autopilot, and to Makoto's dismay Byakuya concurred in a rare moment of agreement with the Ultimate Clairvoyant. Their back and forth was interrupted by an announcement from Monokuma, who revealed that every single door would be unlocked during the investigation.

"How very magnanimous of him to unlock all the rooms."

Byakuya reminded everyone that they needed to start with the investigation.

"B-But!" _Are we really going to split now? Can't you see? Working separately is exactly what the mastermind wants. We have to work together on this! Why can't you see that Monokuma's just trying to divide and conquer?_

Byakuya insisted that he was planning on going alone anyway before leaving along with Toko.

Looking at her, Yasuhiro asked "And you're gonna go off by yourself, right Kyoko?"

"That's right."

Soon after, Aoi and Yasuhiro left to conduct their own investigations, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone in the dining hall.

"...it's just us two." Makoto lamented as he looked at Kyoko.

"Indeed."

"So...you're gonna go off on your own too, right Kyoko?" _You don't even want me to help you?_

Kyoko frowned as she saw the subtle hurt in Makoto's eyes.

 _Maybe I was a little strong earlier…_ "Well, don't misunderstand. Just because we're going to do our searches separately doesn't mean we can't still work together. That goes for all of us."

Makoto's eyes widened as he understood what Kyoko meant earlier. Choosing to view the situation as simply covering more ground, he softly smiled to show Kyoko he was okay, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sighing that she couldn't make Makoto feel completely better, she said "Well, I'd better get going. I have an endless list of things I need to check. Monokuma said all the doors in the school had been unlocked, right? So we should be able to investigate every nook and cranny in the school."

She turned around and was about to walk away before she remembered one last thing.

"Oh and Makoto? Before you go investigate, grab some water bottles from the kitchen and take a shower. You do kind of stink..."

Blushing red in embarrassment, Makoto murmured "Right..."

As she walked away, Kyoko finished "Makoto...no matter what it takes, we have to uncover the truth. By any means necessary."

XXX

Makoto had decided to investigate the Headmaster's Office when he saw that Byakuya had already beaten him to the punch. He proceeded to show Makoto Mukuro Ikusaba's student file, or at least the part that Kyoko had apparently missed when Makoto had distracted Monokuma. Makoto skimmed through the file, noting her recorded vitals, the fact that she was in their class, and a warning from Headmaster Kirigiri about how dangerous she might be. Makoto closed the file and handed it back to Byakuya before walking away.

"Oh, and one last thing..."

Makoto turned around, interested in what Byakuya had to say to him.

"It's a bit of advice from me to you, so I suggest you pay attention. You seem to be getting along with Kyoko quite well."

Makoto frowned, his recollection of what Byakuya and Aoi said to him after Hifumi and Kiyotaka's murders giving him an idea of where this was going.

 _It's not what you think...right?_ "She's just done a lot to help me..."

"Well, don't put too much faith in her..."

 _What's that supposed to mean? How can I not have faith in her?_

"The cost of that faith might be more than you can afford."

Makoto flashed back to his execution, the heavy weight pounding behind him as he waited for his death, before shaking the vision away.

 _What am I thinking? I already told her, that wasn't her fault._ "Wh-What are you saying...?"

"Call it a hunch."

His blood simmering at Byakuya's hunch, Makoto turned around and briskly walked out the door.

 _He's wrong. I know he's wrong. Kyoko protected me...she's earned my trust! It won't turn out like that execution. We're all going to get out of here alive!_

XXX

"It's the headmaster's private room."

Makoto jumped as he turned his head to see Kyoko standing to his left.

 _Guess I was monologuing again…_ "So I take it you've already been here?"

Nodding, Kyoko explained "I've been through this room several times already, but I still have one little regret. So I decided to check it out one more time."

Makoto nodded, but had a curious expression, wondering what regret she could have. He then noticed something different; Kyoko didn't have the calm, analytical look that she had been known for in the past trials, concerning Makoto.

 _Kyoko looks almost...meek right now._

Opting not to bother her and risk making it worse, Makoto looked around the room until he noticed an odd feature on the rear wall.

 _Hey, this is a darker shade of brown, and it looks further away than the rest of the wall…_

"There's a gap here, but not just any normal gap...I can feel a breeze coming out. There's likely an open space on the other side of this wall."

His eyes widening in realization, Makoto exclaimed "You mean, like...a hidden room!?"

Nodding, Kyoko lamented "I think I might know how to open it. But that's where I ended up getting stuck. Which is the regret I mentioned…"

His eyes sparkling, Makoto energetically asked "Did you figure out some kind of trick or something?"

Smiling ruefully, Kyoko replied "A very easy trick, yes. So easy, I'm not sure you can even call it a trick...I saw a program on that PC that I think controls it. Enter the right password, and the door should open right up. But I don't have a clue what that password might be. All we know is it's probably made up of letters and/or numbers. We can't really go from there…"

 _I see...and I guess she hadn't found any more concrete clues on what it might be…_

Kyoko explained with a hint of irritation "I looked through all his paperwork, all the files on the PC, everything I could think of. I learned more about him than I had any desire to, but nothing that might have been his password...When I think of how much time I wasted on this…"

 _This must be so hard for her...having to learn about the father that she wanted to cut ties from to solve the school's mysteries. And to come up empty handed...What can I even say in this situation?_

Sighing, Makoto walked up to her and lay his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in comfort before removing it and looking around some more.

 _...I guess he couldn't think of anything comforting to say, so he settled for a physical gesture._

Kyoko gave a small smile and followed him with her eyes as he walked over to the PC on the desk.

 _My father's PC…_ As Makoto started playing with the computer, Kyoko postulated "Whoever used this last, it looks like they were very interested in the Ultimate Despair. The PC still has some search results left on it…"

"Then we might be able to get some info on the Ultimate Despair!?"

 _...I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Makoto…_ Shaking her head, she replied "There's not much though. Nothing we don't already know. The Ultimate Despair isn't one individual, but instead points to some kind of group. That group is responsible for The Tragedy, which happened one year ago. They're the worst sorts of people, whose driving force comes from despair...And that's all there is. Not much to it, is there?"

 _No, I guess not…_

Sighing, Kyoko shook her head, looking off to the side as she finished bitterly "But I guess that's the best he could do as a complete Kirigiri failure…"

 _...I guess she really holds a strong grudge against her dad…_ "Any information about the mastermind is helpful, right? I appreciate whatever info we can get our hands on." _Kyoko, I know you and your dad have issues, but anything he left us to help us defeat the mastermind, we should be grateful for._

Smiling at his good-hearted nature, Kyoko replied "I see. That's a good outlook to have."

Makoto then started to ponder about what the password might be, though he didn't have much hope that he could deduce it if the Ultimate Detective couldn't figure it out.

 _...No, wait! There might be a chance...The password could be...something she didn't want to think of. Kyoko implied that her father didn't love her. But if he did…_ "What about your name?"

"Huh?" _My...name? No, it can't be. My father wouldn't care so much as to use my name as his password!_

Makoto apologized, explaining that he had just been thinking out loud. He frowned, seeing Kyoko's face shift into one of anxiety, having barely heard his apologetic explanation.

 _I have to be sensitive about this…_ "Um...do you mind if I try it, just to be sure?"

 _I know it's going to be wrong but...what if it's right? Does that mean...NO! Calm down, Kyoko. It's just a password. No harm with Makoto typing in a password…_

Slightly touched that Makoto was asking her permission, she sighed and answered "It's not like you need my permission. If you want to try it, try it. Do whatever you want."

 _What I want and what's right are two different things, Kyoko…_ Makoto stammered "O-Okay..."

Makoto walked up to the computer and sat down in the chair, his hands shaking as he trembled with hesitation.

 _Is this really worth it? If that's not it, that just might hurt Kyoko even more…_

Though touched by Makoto's obvious regard for her feelings, Kyoko urged slightly more calmly than before "If you're worried about me, Makoto, don't be. I already know that your guess is wrong."

 _Is it…_ "Okay." He took a deep breath and said "In that case, here goes nothin." _Kyoko Kirigiri._

As he typed the password and pressed the Enter key, both were shaken by a rumbling sound as the indentation swung backward, revealing a secret room. Makoto had an amazed look as he swung his arms into the air in victory.

"Kyoko! It worked!"

As he was about to start laughing, he heard Kyoko's muffled voice ask "...Why?"

Makoto looked towards the Ultimate Detective, and gaped in concern and shock. The normally clam Kyoko had the tips of her glove in her mouth as though she were biting her fingernails, trembling as she was confronted with a truth that she had denied ever since her mother died.

"K-Kyoko…?" _Nice going Makoto, did you have to slam it in her face!_

Trembling, Kyoko shakily stepped into the hidden passage, not even bothering to look at Makoto.

"Kyoko..."

Standing up, he briskly followed after her, having a feeling that Kyoko's repressed emotions would only further surface when confronted with whatever was in her father's secret room.

XXX

"H-Hey, Kyoko…?" _Are you okay…?_

Makoto called out to her as he entered, spotting Kyoko staring anxiously at what appeared to be a brightly wrapped present on a small wooden table.

 _What the heck is a present doing in a room like this?_

His curiosity getting the better of him, he walked over to the table, preparing to lift the cover when Kyoko interrupted him.

"Be careful, Makoto…"

He looked at her apprehensively, unnerved by her warning as he asked "Why, do you think it's dangerous?"

 _I'd feel better if it was dangerous, but…_ Shaking her head, she replied "No, not dangerous. But...surprising, probably. If it is what I think it is...at the very least, it's not something you'll be happy to see." _For once, I hope I'm wrong…_

"Wait, so...you know what's in there?"

Makoto grew worried as Kyoko neither nodded nor shook her head, nor gave any hint of her answer in her eyes. At last she spoke, though cryptically as usual.

"Just don't scream or anything, okay?" _Please let me be wrong. Let me be wrong twice today, please!_

Nodding, Makoto gingerly grabbed the lid and pulled it off. What awaited him made him scream regardless; a pile of ones and a skull were resting in the bottom of the present. For her part, Kyoko made no move, or even thought to reprimand him for screaming.

"Just as I thought." _So I was right…_

"Just as you thought…? How could you have known that?" At this, Makoto stood on his feet and screeched "I mean...there were bones in there! Human bones!"

Somewhat shaken herself, Kyoko answered "Well, it's not that I was thinking of the bones specifically. I just...had a feeling it would be his body."

Not sure where she was going with this, Makoto exclaimed "Th-That's pretty much the same thing! A dead guy in a box!"

Kyoko resisted the urge to slap him as she glared at Makoto with angry tears in her eyes and revealed "My father…"

Taken off guard and not wanting to make Kyoko more angry than he apparently already had, Makoto nervously asked "What about him..."

Taking a deep breath, she answered "What you found in the box...Those bones...That...body...That's my father. Or at least...what's left of him."

Makoto gaped at her before turning his astonished expression to the human remains before him and wondered _This is...Kyoko's dad?_ "How do you know...that's him?"

"Given all the information we have already, that's the only possible answer. Alter Ego said that the headmaster was probably here in the school...but the only ones who were alive at the start of the killing game were us sixteen students. When you put those two ideas together, it doesn't take much to assume...that most likely, my father was in this school, but he was also dead. That's my assumption, anyway."

 _Kyoko…_

Makoto watched as she subtly clenched her fists, realizing that despite her calm appearance, Kyoko was anything but composed right now.

 _I don't really blame her; she came to see her father, and now she has to see his skeleton in his private study. This is...beyond cruel!_

As he started to look around the room, Makoto suddenly felt a sense of discomfort, as though he was intruding. Kyoko saw his expression and frowned.

"Don't worry about me. Feel free to look around as much as you like."

Kyoko turned around, shocked by Kyoko's insistence that he treat this like any other investigation.

"Are you sure?" _I mean, this is essentially your father's grave, Kyoko. I don't want to disrespect him or your family by prodding around in it…_

Secretly grateful that Makoto was taking her feelings into account, Kyoko assured him "Never let anything get in the way of the investigation. I don't."

Nodding, Makoto first walked over to the desk and gingerly started opening the drawers, sifting through them in a manner as to not completely mess up the arrangement. His eyes widened when he pulled out what appeared to be a handbook with the words In Case of Emergency printed on it in red text.

Showing the extra handbook to Kyoko, he watched as she deduced "A handbook with no limitations, given to the school's ultimate authority, the headmaster...I'm assuming that's what that is."

"I think you're probably right."

"It might prove useful as we continue our investigation. Why don't you hold on to it?"

"Huh? But Kyoko..." _If this belonged ot your father, then you should have it. It's technically your birthright, right?_

Seeing what he was thinking, Kyoko shook her head, replying "I don't need it. If you don't want it, go ahead and leave it here."

 _...I guess she really wants as few reminders of her father as possible._ Sighing, he acquiesced "...I guess I'll take it."

He had just put the handbook in his pocket when something else caught his eye; Makoto started walking over to the dresser on the far wall and spotted a single frame resting on top of it. He looked curiously at the picture inside of a young man holding a smiling girl with long, purple hair.

 _This picture...the girl in it looks familiar, but why?_ His eyes widened in realization as he thought _Wait, is this a picture of…?!_ "H-Hey, Kyoko…!?"

Curious as to why he was calling her, she walked over to him, opening her mouth to ask him what was the matter, until her eyes wandered to the picture in his hand. She gasped, placing her hands over her mouth in shock, startling Makoto.

"Kyoko? Are...are you..."

 _I can't...believe...he kept it…_

Kyoko's eyes widened as one of her memories came rushing back at warp speed, overwhelming her senses as she zoned out.

 _Sweetie, stop being such a wiggle worm!_

 _Look, I'm a birdie!_

"Kyoko?"

The Ultimate Detective came out of her flashback, looking around and seeing Makoto, his hand laid on her shoulder and his mouth frowning in concern.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she uttered "Well, this is annoying. I came here to cut myself free of the past. And yet...To now find something like this...So what do you expect me to do now…?"

 _It's a picture of Kyoko when she was a little girl._

Makoto found the photo of her to be cute, but thankfully had the sense to not voice that particular thought.

 _He must have really cared about her...Which is exactly what Kyoko thought was a lie…_

He looked over to Kyoko who was trembling in shock and emotion.

"Why? What…? " _You mean he...actually...loved me?_ "I wanted to face him and tell him myself. To cut him out of my life for abandoning me… That's the whole reason I came here. And now he's abandoned me again. And this time, he even stole the only opportunity I had to move on. Has there ever been a worse father…?" _Lies. You knew deep down that he loved you. Your name as the password and the photo of you prove it. And who says he abandoned you? For all you know, Monokuma and the mastermind could have killed him too. Admit it; you love your father and wanted to see him alive again. You just want to be mad at him for not being around…_

Makoto looked at her, concerned at her emotional monologue.

 _Kyoko…_

 _Was Makoto right? Did I really...want to reconnect with my father? Guess I'll never know now, because he's dead!_

The thought of her father's death brought tears to her eyes as Makoto watched in concern. He placed the frame back on the dresser and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Kyoko? Are you okay?"

She looked into his eyes with her watery own and, in a burst of unidentified emotion, tackled him, almost knocking him off balance.

"K-Kyoko!"

He was shocked even further when she embraced him in a vice and sobbed into his shoulder.

 _Kyoko...she must be overcome, finding out her name was her father's password, then finding his remains in his private room, and now finding that old family photo of her and her dad. Her entire worldview must be falling apart. I don't blame her for breaking down after all this. She's been so strong throughout this entire ordeal; if anyone deserves some time to let their emotions out, it's her!_

Smiling sadly, Makoto returned the embrace, running one hand up and down her back in a comforting gesture. The shoulder of his hoodie quickly became damp with Kyoko's tears, but Makoto found he didn't care.

 _She was there for me plenty of times. If I can be there for her...just once...I will be._

As the two of them stood there, in the middle of her father's private room, Kyoko felt a warm and content feeling spread through her.

 _This feels...nice…_

Kyoko couldn't help but smile at the thought, her tears slowly drying as she gained a small grasp on her emotions. At last she separated herself from him, wiping her eyes with her gloved hand to get rid of any residual tears.

"Listen, Makoto…? Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it…?"

Looking to the side with guilt, she admitted "I know it's completely unreasonable to ask you this. And I know it'll only inconvenience you that much more. But...could you leave?"

Makoto felt his heart crack at Kyoko's request.

"Huh?" _Did I...do something wrong?_

Looking at his saddened expression, she hastily clarified "Just for a little while. I'd just...like to be alone for a bit." _It's not that I don't want you around…_

"K-Kyoko..."

Smiling slightly at his concern, she assured him "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need to calm down a little...I need to...get my emotions in order." _I've already burdened you enough with my issues. I don't want to burden you more while I get myself under control._

Makoto hesitated, wanting to respect Kyoko's wishes but also feeling guilty about leaving her alone to deal with this.

Treading carefully, he started "You know, Kyoko...You told me before about the relationship you had with your dad. How you're only connected by blood, not by heart and soul. But..." _Doesn't this picture and everything else infer that you were bonded to his heart and soul?_

"Maybe that picture motivated him, maybe he hoped to see me again someday. Is that what you were going to say?"

 _...Close enough, I guess…_

 _...I wish I could know if that was true…_ Closing her eyes, Kyoko continued "If so, it's just a theory. And this isn't an issue that can be settled with theories. That picture doesn't change the facts of what happened, what I went through. That problem can't be solved so easily."

 _What about the advice you gave to me about Sayaka's intentions? It didn't change things either, but we could still infer her feelings. Why can't we infer your father's feelings from this stuff?_

Rather than voice that thought however, Makoto reluctantly acknowledged that although he was satisfied, with some persuasion, about the inferences regarding Sayaka's feelings, the rocky past that Kyoko had with her father made those inferences much harder to accept.

Sighing, he apologized "You're right...I'm sorry."

Smiling sadly, Kyoko assured him "Once I've got myself under control, I'll return to the investigation immediately. So please, just give me some time to myself."

"O-Okay, I understand. Then...I'll see you later." As he turned to leave her to her own devices, Makoto turned back around and urged "If you need me, for anything, don't hesitate to come find me, okay?"

Kyoko blushed, touched at Makoto's willingness to comfort her, before she softly giggled and urged "Go, will you? I'll be okay, promise."

"...If you say so..."

As Makoto left the room, his last thought was _I hope she'll be okay…_

Kyoko looked back at the entryway, already missing the Ultimate Lucky Student.

 _...I'm sorry Makoto, but I've already burdened you enough, no matter how comforting your presence is…_

XXX

 _Nothing makes sense anymore! I mean, what's with that photo? And now Yasuhiro's avoiding me...What the heck is going on?_

Makoto looked at the open corpse tray, reminding him of how Genocide Jack raced out of the Bio Lab after waking up.

 _...And I didn't even get to ask her about the picture…_

"That must be why she passed out…She faints so easily…"

Makoto whiled around to see Kyoko leaning against the wall. Aside from a slight pink tinge around her eyes, she appeared like she hadn't been crying at all. In addition, her expression was no longer faking a calm demeanor, but she looked calm in every sense of the word.

"K-Kyoko!" _She looks better...I'm glad._

"It's getting late, isn't it?"

Nodding, Makoto remembered how emotional she had been in the private room compared to how she was currently and felt obligated to ask "Are you okay?"

Looking to the side, she apologized "I'm sorry if I made you worry."

Makoto waved his hands in front of him in reassurance and exclaimed "N-no, you don't have to apologize." _As long as you're feeling better, that's all that matters._

Kyoko interrupted his thoughts as she interjected "But listen, about this room…"

"Oh yeah, it's..."

Kyoko finished "It's a morgue." Makoto nodded in confirmation, leading Kyoko to explain "I suspected as much. And Toko must have looked inside the fridge, seen what was in there, and...well, there you have it."

"You knew she'd fainted?"

"I was on my way here, when Genocide Jack came running past me. I assumed she must have sneezed, but once I got inside, the real reason became clear. I imagine she came here to investigate, and when she opened the slot there…" As Makoto confirmed that Toko had indeed fainted, Kyoko continued "Anyway, we should close it up. Don't want to leave it hanging open like that…"

"Yeah, good idea..."

Getting to one side of the tray, Kyoko asked "Give me a hand with this."

As Kyoko was about to push, a thought came to her.

 _Wait; I didn't get to see Mukuro's body during the 5th trial, so this might be an ideal opportunity to get caught up._

"Kyoko…? What's..."

"Maybe we should wait a second before closing it." When Makoto asked why, Kyoko explained "Because Mukuro's body is in here."

Makoto stumbled back from the fridge, exclaiming with disbelief "Mukuro's body is inside the fridge!?"

Nodding, Kyoko explained "Just like every other time, the mastermind probably brought it up here while we were in the class trial."

Makoto caught on, speculating "Because they assumed we wouldn't be oding the class trial over again, I guess..."

"You may be right...Either way, now I can finally get a good look at the body." Flames of determination burning in her pupils, Kyoko declared "I need to do my own examination of the corpse as soon as possible. I'm going to find a clue this time, and I'm going to grab the mastermind by the tail…"

Nodding, Makoto asked enthusiastically "Okay, so...what should I do?"

Smiling, Kyoko thought to herself _Sorry to disappoint you Makoto, but I'm not sure there's much you can do to help out with an impromptu autopsy…_ Feeling bad that she had to dampen his enthusiasm, Kyoko suggested "Why don't you just...wait over there? I'll let you know as soon as I'm finished."

 _That's it? Not that I'm any good around corpses anyway. Guess I'd only get in her way if I tried to help._

Giving a sigh of depression, Makoto's shoulders sagged as he went over to the corner and plopped himself down, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for Kyoko to finish.

 _I'm sorry, Makoto…_

Makoto watched her work, his mind starting to wander until it settled on the photo he got from Monokuma.

 _...Wait, the photo! She's in it too, so I should ask her about it. I know she's working, but it's technically part of the investigation, so it'll be okay, right?_ Taking a chance, Makoto walked closer to her and started nervously "Don't let me interrupt your investigation, but I wanted ot talk to you about something."

Though curious, Kyoko didn't turn around, only asking him "What is it?"

"It's about that announcement Monokuma made earlier..."

 _Don't tell me you actually fell for it, Makoto…_ Slightly disappointed, Kyoko replied "You mean the one about a hint or something? I didn't take him up on the offer." When Makoto asked why not, she answered "The only reason he'd give us a hint at this point would be to confuse us, to cloud our judgment. I can solve this mystery on my own, without whatever hints he may have to offer."

"That's...a good point" Makoto admitted. _Great, now I feel stupid for having gone…_

Dropping the subject, Makoto turned to look at the fridge slots, noting that some had blue lights while the others were inactive.

"It would seem the blue light comes on when a slot is occupied."

Nodding, Makoto looked at the wall and counted the nine lights in total.

 _Wait, nine? But weren't there…_

"Okay, Makoto. I'm done."

Filing the thought away for the time being, Makoto looked at Kyoko with surprise and remarked "Jeez, that was fast!"

Kyoko shrugged and replied "Anyone can do good work if they go slow. In that spirit, I'll make my report brief."

 _Does that mean that was slow for you…?_

"I paid careful attention to the wounds and the traces of blood. And it seems highly likely that...the stomach wound and blow to the back of the head were inflicted after death. The burnt tissue made things a little difficult, but I'm completely confident in my findings."

"Then what was the fatal injury?" After reviewing the Monokuma File, Makoto commented "The only other option is those other wounds, but the file said they were old."

"Where does it say they're old?" Makoto stumbled back, taken off guard by the edge in Kyoko's voice as she continued "All the Monokuma File says is that they were inflicted at least several days ago."

 _Old, several days ago, what difference does it make?_ "I...guess I don't see the difference."

 _Still so much to learn…_ Kyoko shook her head, disappointed as she answered "Well the difference is immense, considering the impression they give. You seem to be equating several days old with simply old. But that doesn't quite follow logically. Old wounds, it makes it sound like they've been there forever, like they're not related to the murder."

"Are you saying...they are?" Shaking his head, Makoto asked "But we all got the Monokuma File right after she was killed, right? So if the wounds were at least a few days old, there's no way they could've had anything to do with it."

 _So you still don't see it...the answer right in front of you?_ "But what if Mukuro herself wasn't killed within the last few days? Certainly you can allow it as one of the many possibilities, right?"

"One...of many?"

Makoto was still dumbstruck at Kyoko's theory. The idea that Mukuro died earlier than a few days ago seemed almost laughable to him.

 _Besides, we had never met Mukuro before her death, so when would she have died as part of the killing game if not at least a day or two ago?_ _So how does this even classify as one possibility?_

Seeing Makoto's confusion, Kyoko explained "A detective doesn't have supernatural powers. There's no way to predict the answer from the beginning."

 _You sure about that? Because with how you've solved each of these class trials and saved my behind, I'm starting to think your detective powers border on the supernatural!_

"Instead, the ideal detective begins by imagining as many possible scenarios as they can. They envision these possibilities without prejudice, without bias, using only their logic and common sense. Then, as they investigate, they test what they find against each of these possibilities." Kyoko smirked and remarked "Of course, me telling you this doesn't mean you'll be any good at detective work. But beyond using that to solve this particular mystery, you should keep it in mind for the future."

 _Don't worry, I don't think I'm cut out to be a detective. You're the only reason I'm still alive after all…_

"So if there's anything else you'd like to know about the condition of the body, now's the time. We probably won't get another chance to interact with it."

"Come to think of it, there was one thing..." Makoto tapped his chin as he recalled "When I was looking at Mukuro's profile, it listed her height and weight..." _What were they again?_

"5 foot 7 inches, 97 pounds. Vitals were...31-22-32. Did I get all that right?"

"You remembered all that?" _I shouldn't be surprised at this point, but still...Are you sure your skills aren't supernatural?_

Before Makoto could ask his next question, Kyoko answered "They are indeed consistent with the corpse."

 _I didn't even ask it yet…_

"And don't forget about the Fenrir tattoo. There's absolutely no mistake...Our victim in this case is, without a doubt, Mukuro Ikusaba…! Is that all you wanted to ask?" As Makoto nodded, Kyoko turned around and said "Then it looks like we have no further business with Mukuro's body. Let's get going. It's kind of chilly in here…"

 _Just like that? But what about putting Mukuro's body back?_ "Oh, wait, are we not gonna put the body back? Don't you think it's kinda...sad, leaving it out like this?"

 _...I knew you were kind, Makoto, but sympathy for the corpse of our enemy?_ Turning back to him, Kyoko replied "Sad…? Did you forget? She was our enemy once. A part of the Ultimate Despair."

"B-But she still got killed. She's still a victim..."

"Have you ever heard the phrase you reap what you sow?"

"But still..."

The two of them entered a staring contest, Kyoko surprised by Makoto's uncharacteristic unwillingness to yield to her, until at last she broke it off, shaking her head and chuckling.

"You really are naive, you know that? It's really quite appalling…"

Makoto was taken by surprise as after sighing, Kyoko walked to one side of the open tray as she stared at him, as if waiting for him.

"Well, aren't you going to help me? You're the one who insisted that we close her fridge after all..."

Smiling and nodding, Makoto nodded and rushed over, counting to three as they pushed Mukuro's body back into the fridge and closed the door.

 _If feeling sad for my enemy makes me naive, then what does helping me here make you, Kyoko?_

Dusting off her hands, Kyoko said "I think we've done all we can do here. Back to our separate investigations, yes?"

As she turned around to leave, Makoto's eyes widened in remembrance and he exclaimed "Ah, hold on!"

 _What is it this time? It must be important, or he wouldn't have shouted about it._

Kyoko watched as he kicked his heel with his toe as he hesitantly spoke "I did have one last thing...I know I shouldn't, but I feel I have to ask..."

 _It must be something about my father...he probably wants to avoid making me distraught. I have my emotions under control, so I should be able to handle it…_ Sighing, she exasperatedly interrupted "Go ahead, then. Out with it."

 _Well, here goes nothing…_ Taking a deep breath, Makoto asked "Have you really not seen your dad even once since you got here?"

"What?" _Why would he ask me that? I told him, multiple times, that I came specifically to see my father. There couldn't be anything that would make him second guess that…_ "What do you mean?"

"Well...you know all those lockers on the 2nd floor of the dorms?"

Nodding, she replied "I do, yes. But to get into any of the lockers, you'd need the handbook of whoever the locker belongs to."

Kyoko's eyes widened when Makoto revealed that he got in using her father's emergency handbook.

Kyoko gasped "The one you found in the headmaster's hidden room...So? Did you find anything worthwhile in the lockers?"

Makoto explained that he had found a pocketbook in one of the lockers. Kyoko's eyes widened when he explained that he thought it might be her pocketbook.

"What makes you say that…? Like I said, only the locker's owner should be able to get into it, right? I can't imagine those lockers belonged to any of us...After all, we only got access to that area just recently. What I'm saying is, there's no way I could've had access to any of those lockers. And if I did have a pocketbook, why would I bother putting it in a locker?"

Makoto explained that he looked in the pocketbook and found a journal entry inside written about the headmaster.

Kyoko gasped, putting a hand over her mouth as she exclaimed "Could that mean…? That video...is real, too…?"

"Video?"

Makoto watched Kyoko take a few deep breaths, concerning him until she calmed down, explaining "Makoto, I think everything is finally starting to fit together to reveal a cohesive picture. Although...I'm afraid that picture might be worse than anything we could have imagined."

 _Okay, now you're starting to scare me…_

Makoto was tempted to say Kyoko looked panicked as she said "I need to go investigate those lockers, right now. I need to confirm what you just said with my own two eyes." Makoto offered to give her her father's handbook, but she shook her head, refuting "That won't be necessary. If I'm right about this, I shouldn't have any problem opening the locker with my own handbook. After all, it would seem that it's my locker." As Makoto looked at her in confusion and worry, she handed him a DVD and said "If you watch this, it'll all make sense."

 _Urgent Interviews!?_

Kyoko explained "I found it in that hidden room, after you left. I don't have time to explain exactly what I think it means, so just watch it and see for yourself. I think you'll realize exactly what it means...You'll understand why you found my pocketbook in a place none of us have ever seen before."

 _None of this makes sense right now…_

Hesitating for a moment, Kyoko came to a silent decision.

 _Maybe I can...depend on him a little bit more. I already know he'd agree to it if I asked...alright._ "Oh, and now it's my turn. Do you have a second to listen to me ramble…?"

Surprised that Kyoko was asking him to listen to her talk, Makoto nodded.

 _It must be important if she's asking me…_ "Yeah, go ahead Kyoko."

Taking a deep breath, she confessed "So as it turns out...the arrangements I'd made...didn't stick. What I mean is, I'm less and less sure of everything. Even my own feelings…"

 _You're talking about your dad, right...seeing his corpse must have really shaken her up. No wonder she's unsure of herself right now!_

"I can never find the answers to the questions I wanted to ask. For the rest of my life…"

 _And all because of the mastermind…_

Makoto clenched his fists, angry at the mastermind for taking away Kyoko's opportunity to talk to her dad.

"But there's one thing I am sure of." Makoto looked into Kyoko's eyes and saw the flames of anger and hatred in them as she said with determination "When it comes to the mastermind, there's no room in my heart for forgiveness. I swore to destroy the mastermind. This is just one more reason to follow through on that."

 _And I'll be right there to help!_

Kyoko sighed and lamented "It's strange...to be confronted with his death, and suddenly feel this way. I couldn't care less if my father had found happiness. So why is it…? Why does it bother me so much to know how he suffered…? It's ridiculous. There's just no understanding it, I guess…"

 _Because you love him after all. Because despite all your denials, what you really wanted...was to have your dad in your life...and someone murdered him before the two of you could have that chance!_

Kyoko let out a laugh, but it was one filled with sorrow, echoing the sobs that Makoto had been witness to not long ago, of ones that threatened to burst forth even now. Makoto felt the urge to hug her, to hold her hand, to offer some gesture of physical comfort, but refrained from doing so, getting the feeling that a gesture like that wasn't what Kyoko wanted at the moment.

Once her laugh ended, she looked at him with an expression of guilt and clarified "So, that's it for my rambling. There's still much to do before I can consider my task complete."

"Yeah, you're right."

"But keep this in mind...There is only ever one absolute truth. Whether that truth serves justice or suffering...Whether it's the greatest truth, or the worst…Even if the truth you uncover is filled with hopelessness...you still can't give up hope."

Makoto nodded, not really sure where she was going with that philosophical remark but taking her words to heart all the same.

"A-Absolutely not!" Makoto agreed as he continued "Because...all I can do is keep moving forward. That's pretty much all I'm good at, ya know?"

By this point, Kyoko had accepted that Makoto would just insist that he was only good for one thing, regardless of what she thought about his gifts.

Smiling, she commented "Indeed...Sorry if that was...strange. Anyway, I need to get going. I'll see you at the class trial…"

With that, Kyoko left the Bio Lab, leaving Makoto alone with the strange DVD in his hand. He clenched his fist and stared with determination as she left.

 _I promise Kyoko...I'll help you take down the mastermind...and avenge your father!_

XXX

"You're early, Makoto."

Makoto looked to the side and saw Kyoko leaning against the wall, analyzing his face.

"Does that mean you feel prepared?"

Makoto nodded and looked around, frowning that they were the only two who had arrived yet.

"But where's everyone else? Why aren't they here yet?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Soon enough, Byakuya, Yasuhiro, and Aoi all filed in. MAkoto tried to greet them, but was met with cold glares from each of them.

 _What's going on here?_

Genocide Jack soon appeared, cackling that she would kill the mastermind with her scissors. When Makoto reminded her that she only killed adorable boys, she waved him off, saying that she'd kill anyone if it was for Byakuya. In the middle of her rant, she sneezed, reverting back to Toko.

"No human language can describe the disappointment I'm feeling right now." Kyoko deadpanned.

It was then that Monokuma strolled in and cackled "This final class trial is gonna be slathered in pitch-black despair! Climaximum sorrow!"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and retorted "You're right. This is the final class trial. And this time, it'll be fair."

Monokuma objected, claiming that he was always fair before disappearing. Soon Byakuya, Aoi, Yasuhiro, and Toko filed into the elevator, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone in the lobby.

"They're all acting...odd. Like they're paranoid, suspicious of each other...But you know why that is, don't you?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so..." _It must be those pictures we saw! Kyoko was right, we should have ignored the hint…_

"Well, you can tell us all about it soon. At the class trial…"

Nodding, Makoto declared "You're right. I'm ready..."

"Ready to win, right?"

Makoto clenched his fist in front of his face as he nodded, confirming "Of course…." _We can't afford to lose!_

Smiling, Kyoko replied "I'm glad to hear you say that."

Kyoko grabbed his hand, intertwining them together, before they stepped into the elevator, determination steeled on their faces as they prepared for the final showdown, between hope and despair.

XXX

The trial opened up with Monokuma taking one of the podiums and revealing the new rule, reiterating what Kyoko had told everyone in the dining hall, along with the punishment that awaited the loser.

"Are you saying that if you lose, you'll execute yourself?"

Makoto shivered as Monokuma nonchalantly answered "Yep, sure will!"

Kyoko pressed "...And that's final? No loopholes? No wiggling out of it later?"

Monokuma confirmed it one last time, and with that, the trial truly commenced. Yasuhiro, Aoi, and Byakuya all started accusing everybody else of working together as the mastermind. Bringing up their photos as evidence, they all claimed that they weren't in any of the photos.

 _This has to be a trap; Monokuma set us up! But how do I prove it? Each photo has a certain something in common. There's a connection regarding what person isn't shown in the group photos. And that person is...I got it!_

Makoto revealed that the only one not shown in the photo was the person who received it. It didn't take long for everyone else to realize that it was a ploy by Monokuma to break up their team spirit.

"Yeah, I thought that must be it. But how was that a hint?"

 _Wait...what if there's more than just a trick by Monokuma to these photos…?_

Makoto started comparing all the photos they received, his brow furrowed in concentration as he started to ponder. Yasuhiro and Aoi told him not to worry about it, confident that they were forged, but Makoto wasn't so certain about that.

 _The reason I don't remember this picture isn't necessarily because it's fake...There might be...some other reason...Some...terrible reason...An unbelievable but entirely horrifying reason...Kyoko said that she felt a disconnect when she fainted, and that she had amnesia. Wait, AMNESIA...Now I understand!_

Makoto proposed that everyone had gotten amnesia at the same time. Predictably, Yasuhiro and Aoi waved it off as utter garbage.

"Ever since I came to this school...I remember everything that's happened!"

 _No, that's wrong! And I can prove it with this!_

Makoto brought up the DVD that Kyoko had given him of the entire class being interviewed by the headmaster. Aoi accused Makoto of lying, but Kyoko shook her head in refutation.

"No, it's not a lie. Just watch the DVD and you'll see for yourself. The headmaster did, in fact, interview you."

Aoi and Yasuhiro still refused to believe it, but Byakuya reluctantly acknowledged that they had no way to refute the reality. Makoto then revealed that during the interviews, the headmaster all asked them if they could live in Hope's PEak forever, and all of them had said yes.

When Toko demanded to know why he would ever say yes to that, an agitated Makoto yelled "I don't know! I don't remember a thing!"

Kyoko calmly questioned "The same goes for everyone else? Nobody remembers…? You don't remember choosing to live here forever. Or even talking to the headmaster about it at all…"

Yasuhiro exclaimed that the whole idea of him agreeing to live at Hope's PEak for eternity was simply too insane to be believed.

"Insane or not, we can't move forward until you accept it. Am I right?" When Monokuma confirmed it, Kyoko responded to Yasuhiro's shrieks of shock "I know it sounds absurd, but...if it's the truth, there's nothing we can do about it."

Though Aoi and Yasuhiro still expressed skepticism at the idea, Byakuya chose to accept the reality that faced them. Makoto then accused Monokuma of having stolen those memories from them.

Monokuma started to sweat as he stuttered "Oopsie! You figured out that part too, huh?"

"Of course. There's no way we would all just happen to get amnesia at the same time."

Everyone then started asking how that would happen, but Monokuma insisted that the method didn't matter, leading Byakuya to hypothesize that there was a purpose behind their shared memory loss, and that the key was to figure out what memories were stolen from them. Monokuma confirmed as much, hinting that the original motive was related to the matter.

"That has something to do with the memories you stole from us?"

Monokuma cryptically replied that it was still a secret and urged everyone to focus on solving the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba.

Cackling, Monokuma posed "So who did it...Who killed her?"

Kyoko replied "Whoever did it is the same one who's behind everything. That much I'm sure of."

As they started debating who the mastermind could be, Toko dejectedly lamented "The mastermind is p-probably a million miles away..."

"No, that's wrong!"

Makoto brought up the control room that he and Aoi found during the investigation, exclaiming that the control room's presence proved that the mastermind was still in the school. Byakuya then speculated that the mastermind had to be one of them, since of the original sixteen students, the six of them were the only survivors. It didn't take long before fingers were pointed at Makoto, with Toko bringing up that he was the only one to survive their execution.

"W-Wait, what are you trying to say?" Makoto shouted as he started to panic, his execution playing back in his eyes as he listened to his friends accuse him of concocting the whole scheme.

 _I won't let this happen again…_ "Everyone, calm down. There's no reason to panic. The mastermind's true identity will become clear soon enough. Just as soon as we find out who killed Mukuro."

Makoto sighed in relief and looked gratefully at Kyoko as Byakuya agreed with her.

 _Thank you, Kyoko!_

As Yasuhiro and Toko wondered what else there was to talk about, Kyoko answered "If you want something to talk about, I think there might be one thing...We haven't fully established what Mukuro's fatal injury was." When Aoi objected that her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of the head, Kyoko shook her head, replying "No, that isn't actually what killed her. It was something entirely different. Wouldn't you agree, Makoto?"

 _Makoto's actual cause of death must have been...the other wounds...I got it!_

Makoto raised the possibility that Mukuro may have been killed more than a few days ago, causing Yasuhiro to recoil in shock.

Kyoko elaborated "What if, when we discovered her body, she'd already been dead for several days? If that's true, then naturally the wounds that killed her would appear to be however many days old."

Toko speculated that since Mukuro was the Ultimate Soldier, she got those wounds before even coming to Hope's Peak.

Kyoko however, shook her head and replied "You're wrong."

Toko then went into a fit, ranting about how Mukuro must have bene in a hundred different battles, so that was where she must have gotten those other wounds from.

Sighing, Kyoko asked "Are you finished?"

 _Wait...according to her profile...Toko, No that's wrong!_

Makoto brought up that she hadn't suffered a single injury in battle, leading him to postulate that those other wounds were the very thing that killed her.

"As a matter of fact, it's hard to imagine any other possibility. When examining her body, I found that her stomach and head wounds came after she was already dead."

Her cause of death revealed, the debate moved to who attacked Makoto with the knife in the middle of the knife, since it couldn't have been Mukuro Ikusaba.

 _I can't think of anyone else...I got it!_

Makoto declared that it was the mastermind, leading Monokuma to counter that it was Mukuro Ikusaba, demanding proof that he was wrong.

"I'm telling you now, it was Mukuro Ikusaba!"

Shaking her head, Kyoko retorted "You're wrong. Even without seeing their face...there's another part of the attacker we can use to prove it wasn't her."

"Oh? And what is this other part?"

 _It was the right hand!_

Makoto brought up the Fenrir tattoo on Mukuro's right hand, claiming that the assailant who tried to kill him had no markings or tattoos on their right hand. With no way to twist the argument back to Mukuro, Monokuma admitted that it wasn't her, but claimed that it could have been someone other than the mastermind. Byakuya restated that he, Aoi, Yasuhiro, and Toko all had alibis that evening, leaving Monokuma to point the finger at Kyoko, and Makoto horrified.

 _No! Not again! I won't let her be Monokuma's target again!_

 _...I guess I don't have a choice._

She looked over in Makoto's direction and felt a surge of courage fill her, giving her the strength she needed to make her next admission with a smile.

"If you insist, I don't mind showing you."

"Huh…? Show me what?"

"What do you think? I'll show you the one thing that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt it wasn't me."

 _She must mean her hands...Kyoko, NO! I believe you! You don't have to show us your scars to us if you really don't want to...Don't let Monokuma push you around!_

Before anyone could actually say anything, and before Kyoko could second guess herself, she yanked her right glove off like it was a band-aid, exposing her hand for everyone to see. Everyone was shocked, but none more than Makoto. Kyoko's right hand was covered in a criss-cross pattern of red flesh, leaving Makoto to stare in horror.

"What happened to you?" _What happened to make you suffer like that, Kyoko?_

Wistfully smiling, she replied "Awful, isn't it? It happened when I was first learning to be a detective. I was inexperienced…"

"I thought you didn't want anyone to see those scars..." I certainly wouldn't have asked you to show them to us, especially if circumstances weren't…

Kyoko could see the consideration in his eyes, making her smile in gratitude as she assured him "If it means we get another step closer to unmasking the mastermind, it doesn't really bother me." _Liar; it does bother you. It's only because he's there that you have the courage to show everyone._ As she pulled her glove back on once more, she said "My scars should suffice as proof. Makoto, did the person who attacked you have scars like mine?"

"No, not at all. I'm positive."

"Then this much has been made clear...There can be no doubt that the one who attacked Makoto is the true mastermind."

Defeated, Monokuma moaned "On top of my secret being revealed, I had to look at those positively grotesque scars of yours!"

 _They're not grotesque! They're…_ Makoto growled at Monokuma, furious at seeing Kyoko's scars being made fun of by the sadistic bear.

This did not pass by unnoticed by Kyoko, who noted the irony that Makoto was getting more worked up about Monokuma's taunts than she was.

"Ah, sorry! Did I say that out loud? I do hope I didn't hurt your feelings…!"

Smiling, Kyoko replied "Not at all. You can say whatever you want."

 _That doesn't mean he should!_

The debate then turned back to the circumstances of Mukuro's murder, and how her fresh body appeared in the garden days later. Makoto proposed that the corpse was originally stored in the Bio Lab, with Byakuya catching on and guessing that it was then moved to the garden later.

 _In fact, I have proof...I got it!_

Makoto brought up the tarp that was found in the garden and revealed that the words Bio Lab had been printed on the corner, stating that there was a large number of them at the Bio Lab.

Nodding Kyoko theorized "So when the killer moved the body to the garden, they must have grabbed a tarp to wrap it in. Then they simply left it as it was to protect against the sprinklers, and put the coat on it afterwards."

Sweating, Monokuma demanded that she show evidence to back up her wild guess, leading Kyoko to smirk and shake her head.

"There is no evidence. I was simply explaining what I think happened. But you seem to be getting pretty worked up about it, wouldn't you say? Now that the conversation has turned to the topic of the bio lab, you must be getting pretty nervous. Because the key to uncovering your secret identity is hidden within that room, isn't it?"

Gaping, Yasuhiro exclaimed "Are you talking about unmasking the mastermind!?"

Nodding, Kyoko explained "You see, the bio lab contained an inconsistency, one so major it can't be overlooked."

 _Are you talking about…_

"La-la-la! I can't hear you! La-la-la!"

 _Okay, this is getting crazy, even for Monokuma. We must be getting close…_ Makoto realized as he watched the bear's antics.

Kyoko sighed and moaned "Such a child...Oh well, just ignore him."

Makoto refocused his attention back to the inconsistency that Kyoko mentioned. Desperate, Monokuma brought up Makoto's family, making the Ultimate Lucky Student's eyes widen in panic.

"Are you sure your family's still okay?"

"Why are you bringing that up now!?"

Makoto began to hyperventilate as panic swept through him, making Kyoko narrow her eyes in anger at Monokuma's desperate strategy.

 _Damn that bear; bringing up that motive to throw Makoto off balance. He's already suffered enough!_

As Monokuma continued taunting him, Makoto roared "S-Stop talking about that!"

"Calm down, Makoto. He wants you to get upset."

Kyoko's voice broke through him, allowing Makoto to get his wits back by focusing on her voice instead of Monokuma's taunts. Monokuma continued to try and shout him down in an attempt to bring him back into a panic, but Makoto wouldn't let him, and was able to concentrate until the answer came to him.

 _This should prove it!_ "The inconsistency Kyoko's talking about is...the lights!"

Makoto explained that the Bio Lab was set up as a substitute morgue, and that everyone who died was set up there.

 _Excellent work, Makoto!_ Kyoko took it from there, elaborating "And it was set up so that when a slot had a body in it, a blue light would turn on."

Makoto revealed that only nine lights were on, confusing Yasuhiro.

 _The number of lights that should be on is...I got it!_ "Ten of the lights should have been on. Any other number is incredibly suspicious!"

When Toko asked why, Kyoko revealed "That's simple. Just recall who's died here so far, and it should become clear."

Makoto roll-called the victims so far, and Aoi started wondering whose body disappeared from the Bio Lab.

"It may very well be...that none of them disappeared. Including Monokuma's executions, there have apparently been ten deaths. But there were only nine bodies. That's the point I'm trying to make."

 _What would it take for that to make sense…? Wait, what if Mukuro was...I got it!_ "What about if...the same person was killed twice?"

Aoi acquiesced "T-Technically you're right I guess, but still...something like that - "

"Could easily have happened. No, it is what happened." Kyoko interjected as Aoi tried to come to terms with Makoto's suggestion. When Byakuya asked who was killed twice, Kyoko smiled and answered "It was Mukuro, of course. Before she was killed as Mukuro Ikusaba, she was killed as someone else."

Monokuma denounced it as crazy talk and demanded ot know who the theoretical someone else could possibly have been.

"All you have to do is look at those bodily injuries of hers and that will become obvious."

 _Who could it have been? Who else suffered a fatal injury like Mukuro? It wasn't Sayaka, it wasn't Junko...wait, no that's wrong!_ "Junko. Wasn't her fatal injury pretty similar to Mukuro's?"

Makoto explained that Junko was stabbed to death with spears. Catching on, Byakuya continued that Mukuro died from a number of wounds across her body.

"When you compare that to the stab wounds Junko suffered..."

"Then the s-similarities...match…?" Toko finished in an incredulous gasp.

Nodding, Kyoko confirmed "Yes, and those are the only fatal injuries that match up. That explains why those two bodies are actually one and the same."

Byakuya deduced that someone that had previously thought to have died was still alive. Toko exclaimed that Mukuro was the one still alive, and that the body they found in the garden wasn't Mukuro, but Makoto was still unconvinced. The Ultimate Lucky Student brought up her records from the headmaster's office and stated that the corpse's appearance and measurements were consistent with her records.

Backing him up, Kyoko elaborated "She was 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighed 97 pounds. Her vitals were 31-21-32. Everything in her profile is consistent with that corpse."

With that point settled, Toko asked who was actually still alive.

 _There's only one person it could be…! Here's my answer!_ "Junko is still alive. It's the only possibility!"

Byakuya refuted him, bringing up that they had all seen Junko get impaled themselves, and that Makoto had checked her pulse himself that day. Makoto lost his confidence, lamenting that he must be wrong, causing Monokuma to cackle in victory.

"This case hasn't been decided just yet…You haven't given up already, have you Makoto?"

His confidence revived, Makoto roared "N-No, of course not! There's no way I'd give up that easy!"

Kyoko smiled, glad that Makoto's confidence had been restored. As Byakuya and Yasuhiro reiterated the impossibility of Junko being alive, Kyoko gave Makoto a line to grab hold of.

"I think we need to look at this from the opposite direction. Let's assume Junko is still alive. If so, how could she have survived?"

Makoto's eyes widened in realization as he thought _Could it be that...Junko's not the one that died? It wasn't Junko, but someone else entirely? Maybe she used some kind of trick...wait...she was REPLACED! Now I understand!_ "What if she switched places with someone else!?"

Aoi and Yasuhiro expressed doubt, claiming that there was no possible timing for them to switch before Junko's death.

 _No, they switched! I'm positive. I need to figure out how to explain how they could have switched…! I got it!_

Makoto proposed that they switched places before they had all gathered in the entrance hall, pointing out that if that's when they switched, then they wouldn't have needed to switch at the moment of death. While Yasuhiro and Aoi expressed disbelief at that, with Aoi claiming that she had a normal conversation with Junko, Byakuya reminded them that they didn't know who everyone was when they first met, making Makoto's theory more than plausible.

When Aoi tried to counter that Junko never had Mukuro's Fenrir tattoo, Kyoko countered "She could have hidden it with foundation or something like that." _After all, I considered doing the same thing to cover my scars before deciding that gloves were less of a hassle…_ Shaking the thought, Kyoko continued "If she did, it likely melted away in the explosion, exposing the tattoo after the body was extinguished. Plus, there were the fake nails found on the hands of Mukuro's body. They were the same fake red nails she was wearing when we all met for the first time."

Struck with an epiphany, Toko interjected "B-But...if she really did use foundation..."

Seeing where she was going, Kyoko finished "Correct. Even if there was no tattoo on her hand, I couldn't say for certain it wasn't Mukuro. So I'm glad nobody noticed that glaring hole when we were trying to figure out who attacked Makoto...But too bad for you, Monokuma. You can't deny it anymore." Byakuya noted how elaborate the plan was, making Kyoko explain "The reason such an elaborate plan was possible is because the two of them were working together."

Makoto deduced that both Mukuro and Junko were the Ultimate Despair. Monokuma was struck silent, making Kyoko smirk in victory.

"What's wrong? Lost the will to fight back?"

As Aoi taunted that Monokuma was probably just afraid, the bear spoke up, exclaiming that the whole theory was a bunch of nonsense.

Makoto's eyes narrowed squarely at Monokuma as he declared "You aren't going to fool anybody! Don't think I haven't noticed."

Monokuma trembled, making Kyoko smirk as Makoto continued pressing the sadistic bear.

"Monokuma, you've tried to hide Junko's identity twice now." _They were...I got it!_ "You made sure I couldn't finish watching the video. You did the same thing with this group photo!"

"Th-That was just coincidence! That whole power outage thing was just a fluke!"

Shaking his head, Makoto refuted "No, it was no coincidence. You definitely planned it. You did it because we would've figured it out if we took one look at her face!"

Recoiling, Monokuma fearfully asked "Figured what out?"

Raising his voice slightly, Makoto answered "That the girl in the pictures and video isn't the Junko that we know!" _After all, the unusual circumstance common to all of these pictures...I got it!_ "It's obvious when you think about it...Junko's face. The one thing common to every single photo is that you can't see her face."

Stumbling on the podium, Monokuma stuttered "What are you all talking about? You've all met her!"

"But we were all suffering from amnesia. It was like we'd never met before!"

As Monokuma almost fell off the podium in shock, Kyoko interjected "I believe everything Makoto said is true. Junko and Mukuro switched places before we met either of them."

As Byakuya noted that it would have been impossible for any of them to notice the bait and switch, Makoto continued "She faked her death by killing Mukuro, who had switched places with her. The real Junko is still alive!"

Monokuma stumbled backwards, cursing "Xanadu!"

Pointing his finger directly towards Monokuma, and looking eerily like Kyoko at that moment, Makoto roared "And she's the organizer of this school life of mutual killings - Junko Enoshima, YOU ARE THE MASTERMIND!"

"Faxanadu!" Monokuma cursed before bending over.

With Monokuma finally silenced, Kyoko interjected "With this, the identity, and the crimes, of the mastermind have been exposed."

"N-no, wait…! Hold on..." Monokuma weakly objected, still unmoving, but MAkoto didn't let him finish.

"Don't bother trying to deny it. There's no more room for debate. You don't have anywhere left to run. I'll prove anything...right now!"

Makoto went on to detail every single detail of Junko's plot, from switching places with Mukuro to murdering her to trying to frame Kyoko for her death. Makoto's voice became especially growly at that last part, letting his disdain for forcing Kyoko to make him out as the bad guy known loud and clear.

"That's the whole story behind this incident! Well? What do you have to say to that!?"

Makoto's taunt was met with silence, as the robotic bear had stopped making any noise at all, eerily reminding them of how he was when the others were disassembling him.

Eventually, an exasperated Byakuya sighed and complained "What, are you broken again? Or is playing dead just your strong suit?"

Monokuma stayed silent, even when Aoi, Yasuhiro, and Toko all took their turns yelling at him.

"Give it up, Junko. The game's over. Admit defeat."

At this, the robotic bear finally raised his head, creeping everyone out with how his evil red eye was glowing as he cackled "Admit defeat? Oh ho ho, I think NOT! There's still plenty more to go!"

Everyone gasped in shock as mist covered Monokuma's podium, obscuring their vision of the bear. It then dissipated in what could only be described as an explosion of air, leaving in its wake a tall, blonde haired girl with two pigtails.

 _That must be the real Junko..._ Makoto and Kyoko thought as everyone stared at their new adversary.

The new teenager put on a crown and adopted a snooty yet regal voice as she boasted "At long last! I've been waiting for how I've longed for this moment! I'd nearly grown tired of waiting for minds of your caliber to come!"

 _This is the mastermind?_

Switching personas, the girl adopted a somewhat depressed voice and revealed "Mukuro and I were two sides of the same coin you might say. Fraternal twins invariably at odds..."

Toko gasped, exclaiming "Twins?"

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized _That's it...the Two Despairs!_

The depressed girl confirmed "Yeah. A fairly common plot twist. So it's kind of embarassing to say it now. Mukuro and I had your stereotypical twin relationship...Mukuro was the physically adept older sister, the one rough and military minded. And the cute, genius, younger sister, the younger sister who was cunning and compulsively attractive..." She switched personas once more, adopting a crazy grin that creeped out even the stoic Kyoko as she pointed to herself as she cackled "That was me! Junko Enoshima-chan!"

Junko cackled some more, leaving Aoi and Toko trembling with fear at their clearly unhinged classmate. Byakuya and Kyoko stared with as much neutrality as possible, while Yasuhiro did his best to glare at the Ultimate Despair. But it was Makoto who glared at Junko with seemingly all the fury and hatred in the world, staring down the Ultimate Despair as she continued to cackle away.

 _Junko Enoshima...You're responsible for everything that's happened! For trying to frame Kyoko and cause her unimaginable guilt for my verdict, and for killing Alter Ego, Sakura, Celeste, Hifumi, Kiyotaka, Mondo, Chihiro, Leon, Sayaka, and last but not least, killing Kyoko's dad and stealing her opportunity to reconnect with him...I swear to take you down!_

XXX

Aoi remarked how she felt like Junko looked familiar somehow, triggering Makoto's memory.

 _Was it...I got it!_

Makoto realized that he had seen her face on the magazine covers, leading him to realize that Mukuro's claim that they were all photoshopped was just a lie. Byakuya nodded, coming to the conclusion that the reason why Junko hadn't seemed the same at first was because she was actually Mukuro.

Aoi suddenly came to a realization and spoke shakily "But...if she was your twin, that means...you killed your own sister?"

Junko then put on a pair of glasses, shifting to a new personality as she explained in a lecturing tone that she had Mukuro switch places with her because she needed to control the killing game from behind the scenes, but she didn't want her Ultimate Fashionista appeal to go to waste either.

"And that's...why you switched identities?"

Junko went on to explain that Mukuro was still completely inept at portraying her accurately, and decided to kill her off to meet everyone's expectations. At Makoto's horrified exclamation, Junko also explained that she killed Mukuro in order to avoid becoming bored.

"I've never been a stickler for following a plan to the letter, ya know?"

Everyone was thrown off guard as Junko again switched personalities, adopting big goo-goo eyes and trying to exude cuteness. The result just made everyone shudder.

"In other words, Mukuro's death was a one-sided, premeditated act of betrayal. Just as I suspected...When Mukuro was killed, she must have been as surprised as anybody else."

Makoto and Aoi stumbled back in shock at Kyoko's conclusion, demanding to know how Junko could possibly not be bothered by having murdered her own twin sister. Junko switched personalities again, adopting a teary-eyed and down in the dumps persona as she confessed that such an act filled her with such despair, it made her feel so good.

"What the heck is wrong with you?"

In response to Yasuhiro's exclamation, Junko speculated that Mukuro must have felt such hopelessness during her death, and that she was jealous of her.

Taken aback like everyone else, Byakuya said "You're some kind of...abnormality."

Nodding, Kyoko agreed "Turning your own despair into some kind of fetish...Abnormality doesn't even begin to describe it."

Yasuhiro claimed that she was even crazier than Genocide Jack, leading Junko to rhetorically question that she was hopelessly perfect. Byakuya shook his head in disgust, saying that there was nothing perfect about what she just said. Toko jumped in, claiming that Byakuya was way more perfect than Junko, especially since he had that noble blood.

"Don't you mean...had that noble blood?"

That caught Byakuya's attention; his eyes narrowed and he growled at her to explain what she had just said.

Swapping personalities again, Juno hid her face behind a Monokuma plushie and taunted "You haven't even solved all the mysteries, and yet here you are, yap-yap-yapping away!"

Kyoko hesitantly interjected "Are you talking about our memories…?"

Junko taunted them to solve the mystery of their memories before they could gloat, leading Makoto to confidently declare "Damn straight! That's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to solve all these mysteries…And then...we'll have our victory."

Yasuhiro demanded that Junko give them a hint, but the Ultimate Despair cryptically replied that their memories shared something in common with a few other things.

 _The memories that were stolen from us, and what they must be related to...I got it!_ "You're talking about the motives you provided to try and get us to kill each other, right?"

Switching back to her slightly depressed persona, Junko revealed that each motive had a specific theme, and proceeded to go through them one by one, switching personalities each time when Makoto guessed it right. When an irritated Byakuya asked what the point was in asking those questions now, Junko switched back to her cute persona and explained that they were all normal motives, before switching to her ruler persona and declaring that there were as many reasons to kill as there were people on earth, compelling humans to kill each other and bringing despair to the world.

"This is what we refer to as the seed of despair!"

"Seed of despair…?"

In response to Kyoko's question, Junko went on to lecture about how hope was nourishment for the seed of despair, until an annoyed Byakuya interrupted, asking when her stupid speech was going to be over with, and demanding why she was changing the subject from their missing memories. Junk switched to her teacher persona and explained that the seed of despair was closely tied to their lost memories. She went on to explain that by taking away their memories, she gave them the hope of escaping from Hope's Peak.

"What are you talking about?"

In response to Byakuya's confused question, Junko switched to her ruler persona and explained that if nobody wanted to leave, the killing game never would have taken place, and that she took away their memories to bring forth their desire to leave.

"The only reason we want to leave is because you took our memories...is that what you're saying?"

Switching to her Monokuma personality, Junko acknowledged Kyoko's deduction. When Yasuhiro demanded to know why having his memories would make him not want to leave, Junko cackled and declared that she would show them the outside world.

 _Is she going to show us the Tragedy?_ "So something really did happen out there…"

Everyone watched in horror as Junko turned on a video of people in Monokuma masks creating riots, Monokuma robots destroying cities, and monokuma heads being attached to famous monuments.

"What the..." _What the hell is this? It looks like something out of a movie!_

Junko demanded that they remember what happened to the outside world, switching to both her depressed and crazy personas in the process.

 _How are we supposed to remember...what we've forgotten?_ _Wait, we might not remember, but Genocide Jack might!_

Makoto brought up that even though Toko and Genocide Jack share some knowledge, their memories aren't linked.

Catching on, Kyoko mused "I see. If their memories are separate...then even if one personality's forgotten, there's a chance the other may still have those memories."

Toko initially resisted, but sneezed as soon as Byakuya asked her to, causing a switch to Genocide Jack, who announced her entry with glee.

 _Wow, that was fast…_ Makoto deadpanned as she and Junko introduced themselves to each other as though they were having a normal conversation. Everyone then urged her to watch the video that was playing in front of them.

After a minute, during which Genocide Jack was lost in thought, Kyoko pressed "Well? Does it look familiar?"

Genocide Jack in her usual craziness explained that they were witnessing was the state of the world after the Tragedy.

Switching back to her crazy personality, Junko exclaimed "The world's been destroyed, get it!?"

Even Kyoko couldn't help but let out an astonished and horrified gasp, uttering "Destroyed…?"

It was then, among Yasuhiro's protests, that Junko dropped the biggest bombshell yet; that all of Byakuya's family, along with his precious Togami Corporation. This left Byakuya shocked and appalled, shaking his head and refused to believe it.

 _Byakuya…_

Makoto felt sorry for the former Ultimate Affluent Progeny. Arrogant though he may have been, he had everything he owned taken away from him by Junko, angering the Ultimate Lucky Student. Byakuya exclaimed that his family was destined to guide the world, leading Junko to switch to her crazy persona and refute that the world got destroyed a year ago.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Makoto interjected, claiming that he only came to Hope's Peak a few weeks ago, so the Tragedy couldn't have occurred a full year ago.

Junko switched to her Monokuma persona and cackled "Have you considered the possibility that you're mistaken about that?"

"Mistaken…?"

Junko then dropped an even bigger bombshell; their entire class had been attending Hope's Peak Academy for two full years up to that point. Everyone stared in shock, with Aoi and Yasuhiro refusing to believe such an audacious claim. Makoto however decided to ponder Junko's words.

 _The memories that were stolen from us...I got it!_ "If we accept that what you say is true...then we've all lost our memories of the last two years, after coming to this school."

Junko in her ruler persona grudgingly acknowledged that Makoto was correct, making Aoi gape in shock and Yasuhiro shake his head in denial. Reluctantly, Makoto showed Yasuhiro his notebook, leading Yasuhiro to confirm in an aghast tone that it was definitely his handwriting, even though he didn't remember ever writing in it. Still in denial, Yasuhiro shook his head and denounced it all as one big lie.

"I don't want to believe it either...But there's also no explanation for this pocketbook." Taking the small journal out of her pocket, Kyoko explained "It's mine. And the handwriting inside is also mine, there's no doubt about it. But just like Hiro, I have no memory of ever writing in it."

With Byakuya reluctantly voicing his acceptance of Junko's explanation, everyone was forced to accept the seemingly impossible reality that they had forgotten two years of their time together. Junko then continued to taunt them about what happened during those two years...then stopped because she was bored.

At Yasuhiro's shocked exclamation, Junko switched to her ruler persona and declared "We are bored of this world! Everyone always talks big, declaring all the great things they'll do! But then they always fizzle out..."

Even Kyoko couldn't make any sense out of Junko's speech, forcing her to inquire "What are you talking about?"

Switching to her teacher personality, Junko challenged them to determine where their memory loss began.

 _...I got it!_ "I can't think of any time other than...that day!"

Makoto hypothesized that the memory loss began when he had passed out in the entrance hall and woke up on a desk in the classroom.

"I assumed not much time had passed since I'd collapsed in the main hall."

Junko switched to her cute personality and exclaimed "But instead, two whole years had gone by!"

"The reason it felt so short was because...our memories of the time in between had been completely removed?"

Junko confirmed Kyoko's hypothesis, recounting how when they regained consciousness and met in the entrance hall, everyone took the time to reintroduce themselves.

"But by that point, we'd already spent two years together at the school. That's what those photos reveal, isn't it?"

Junko gleefully confirmed Kyoko's deduction, and proceeded to give a cliffnotes version of what had happened in the two years since they entered Hope's Peak Academy, revealing that the Tragedy had even exterminated almost all of the student body.

Disgusted with how casual Junko was with all of this, Kyoko asked "What...are you? The most tragic event in human history, and the Ultimate Despair that caused it...I can't believe it's all because of just you and Mukuro. Was it some kind of organization? An angry mob? An incredibly motivated family?"

Junko explained that the closest comparison she could make was an ideology, switching to her ruler personality and exclaiming that if they saw despair as the enemy, then their enemy was the world.

 _This still isn't making any sense at all…_ "I just don't understand why…"

Junko cackled that it was merely a tangent anyway, then divulged that after the Tragedy, Hope's Peak was transformed into a shelter to protect everyone who had survived, and challenged them to deduce who was responsible for it.

 _The one who turned Hope's Peak into a shelter and isolated us here...the letter, the DVD...I got it!_ "It could only have been...the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy." _Kyoko's dad!_

 _My father...turned the school into a shelter...to protect us?_

Junko then detailed about how she and Mukuro had already been enrolled at the school by that point, making it so that Headmaster Kirigiri's plan backfired on him.

 _So it's true...you and Mukuro, you killed my father!_

Junko then revealed that she used the Killing Game to eliminate the last specks of hope in the world.

 _But how did she do that...That was...wait, the HIJACK! Now I understand!_ "You're talking about hijacking the airwaves, aren't you?"

Junko reverted to her slightly depressed persona and confirmed it, then switched to her Monokuma personality and revealed that there was a group of people who were trying to rescue them all this time, but that Junko used the guns installed in the school to repel them.

 _So...Aoi was right? People were coming for us!_

Makoto clenched his fist in outrage at Junko's callousness and disregard for human life.

Switching to her ruler persona, Junko shrugged and finished "And that's the truth! Which is what you wanted, right? You solved the mystery but despaired at the truth, right?"

Kyoko's eyes widened in realization as she gasped "Don't tell me...Did you seriously count on the possibility that we would solve your mystery?"

Everyone stared in shock as Junko revealed the awful truth that everyone had been murdering each other for nothing, meaning that all of Junko's motives for escape were meaningless.

"We weren't just random strangers, either. We were classmates. We'd spent two years together…"

Even Genocide Jack couldn't laugh at the horror of the truth that Junko had laid out in front of them. It was then that Makoto decided to stand up, to stand against Junko.

"You say the world's fallen apart. But I haven't seen it for myself. I don't accept it as the truth! Even if it's all true...I refuse to give in! I refuse to lose to you!"

It was then that Junko brought up the vote, and revealed that she would change the rules for this trial; if only one person voted to give in to despair, then Makoto would be executed and everyone else would live in Hope's Peak Academy for eternity.

"M-Me!?"

 _No, not again! Never again!_

"Kyoko, you could never betray your father, could you?"

"...What?" _Betray...my father?_

Cackling, Junko answered "I mean, the headmaster's only wish was that all of you would survive, right? That's why he tried to trap you all here, after all! The least you can do is try to honor your dead father's wishes!"

Makoto grit his teeth in anger as he listened to how Junko was manipulating Kyoko and poking at her emotional wounds.

 _Using her father like that...damn you Junko! Kyoko, don't listen to her! If Junko seeks to push you into despair, then I'll pull you all back into hope!_ Makoto stared down Junko and roared "As long as we have hope, we'll never give up!"

His path made clear, Makoto proceeded to revive Aoi, Byakuya, Genocide Jack, and Yasuhiro's determination and hope. All four of them moved to stand behind him. His four friends brought back to their senses, Makoto turned his attention back to Kyoko, whose eyes were drowning in despair.

"Kyoko! Don't listen to her!"

Makoto's voice grabbed her attention, enough at least so that she was looking into his eyes, entranced by the warmth emanating from his pupils.

"I know how important your father was to you, believe me! This is what he wanted!"

 _This was what my father wanted? I want to believe you…_ Shaking her head, Kyoko replied dejectedly "You say that, but how can we really know what he wanted? I never knew the man..."

"KYOKO!"

The Ultimate Detective gasped as she again found herself lost in Makoto's eyes, his words piercing her despair like a bullet of truth as he yelled "Your father entrusted us with the future. He didn't surrender to despair like Junko wanted us to. And if hope is fading away, then we'll simply become the new rays of hope!"

Kyoko smiled as his words impacted her, realizing _He's right! How could I have been so foolish? I nearly betrayed my father's wishes for all of us, and almost sacrificed Makoto a second time in the process. I have two promises to keep before I even think about giving into despair. Makoto Naegi...thanks for giving me hope again!_ "I didn't really know my father, so I can't pretend to know what he was thinking. But even if we're just connected by blood, there's one thing I am sure of...He would never want us to abandon Makoto and choose to stay here. I can't explain why, exactly. But if I'm sure of anything, I'm sure of that...Just because we don't actually know anything, does that mean we can't understand…?"

"Kyoko..."

A thought came to Kyoko, surprising her that she never thought of it before. "Could it be that…?" _I love…_ She shook her head and continued "...No, never mind. So, Makoto...I don't think you wound up at this school because you had good luck or bad luck...I think you came here for a different reason entirely...You came here to bring down the Ultimate Despair. You came here to confront despair without ever giving up. Lady luck doesn't snub you; she relies on you! And if that's true, I think we could call you...the Ultimate Hope. What do you think?"

 _The Ultimate Hope…_

As Makoto mulled the title over, Kyoko moved to stand behind him, the six friends united as one force of hope against the Ultimate Despair. Junko had her head bowed, unbelieving that the shy and uninteresting Makoto Naegi had somehow managed to negate her despair and rally his friend sinto all opposing her.

"Lame. How lame. Your stupid faces...The stupid things you've said...The stupid way you all treat each other...They're all lame, lame, lame!"

Undeterred by Junko's attempt to sway him, Makoto preached "I'm not an elite..."

"There's nothing but despair outside."

"I'm not great enough to be called hope..."

 _Yes you are, Makoto…_

"But...But I won't give up!"

"Let despair violate you!"

Shaking his head, Makoto roared "I refuse to give up. I refuse to get bored! I refuse to throw it all away! I refuse to despair!"

"Cut the crap! You disgust me!"

"After all, being optimistic..."

"Do you have a death wish, Makoto?"

"...is the only thing I've got going for me!"

"You're unBEARable. I hate you BEARY much!"

"No matter what, I'm leaving this school. I and everyone else are leaving this school!"

Recoiling in shock that her despair was only motivating Makoto to survive, a desperate Junko yelled "That's so annoying! That's so uncool! Despair for tomorrow! Despair at the thought of the unknown! Let your memories throw you into despair!"

 _Let's finish this…_ Makoto raise dhis right hand, pointed straight at Junko and declared "Sorry, but HOPE PLOWS FORWARD!"

Stumbling back, Junko's will to fight cracked and shattered into a million pieces as she stuttered "What the hell? Seriously, what the hell's happening?"

Satisfied at Junko's defeat, Byakuya declared "It looks like we've reached the end. I think it may be time to vote..."

Kyoko nodded, agreeing "Let's put an end to these trials. Put an end to the killing...with our own hands."

As soon as their monitors appeared, all six friends touched the icon of Junko Enoshima and yanked the lever without a moment of hesitation, watching as the slot machine revealed Junko's face and all her fortunes went down the drain.

Junko stared at everyone for a moment, blinking, until she finally uttered "What's this? Huh? What the hell?"

Kyoko glared at the Ultimate Despair and informed her "You've lost, Junko."

Blinking in disbelief, Junko replied "Lost? I lost? No way? That's impossible. That's just..." Everyone was caught off guard as Junko adopted a dopey grin and finished "Totally the best! I infiltrated this school two years ago, created in incredibly detailed plan...I even killed my own sister for it...To come this far, and to think that my plan would fail at the very, very, very end!" She spread her arms and exclaimed with incomprehensible glee "It's the most ultimately, ultimate despair!"

As Makoto and everyone else stood in shock at Junko's speech of happiness, Kyoko asked "Anyway, so are you prepared to admit defeat?"

Junko replied that she didn't care whether she succeeded or failed, claiming that despair awaited the six of them no matter where they went. To her shock, Byakuya, Aoi, and Yasuhiro all reminded her that because of Makoto's strength as the Ultimate Hope, they didn't fear despair, and would enter the outside world filled with hope. Makoto grew teary eyed as he heard everyone's faith in him, touched by their emotions.

 _You guys…_

Kyoko chime din as well, saying "You said that despair is as contagious as any disease. But the same is true of hope. All you have to do is look at us to see how true that is."

"K-Kyoko!"

Makoto grinned as tears of joy fell down his face as an irritated Junko warned them that despair would continue to stand in their way.

"I'm almost done though, so whatever...Because it's almost punishment time, right!?"

Makoto blanched at the thought of Junko executing herself, while Kyoko asked in slight disbelief "Do you really intend to go through with this?"

Makoto tried to stop her, exclaiming that he didn't really want her to die, only for Junko to angrily exclaim that she craved to taste the despair of death, leaving Makoto frozen in shock and horror.

Junko walked over to her big red button and held her hand over it trembling as she said "Okay, let's do this! I've reserved an extra special punishment for last! Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIME!"

XXX

 _What the...what just...happened?_

Makoto stared at the blood that was splattered all over the floor, the end result of Junko subjecting herself to six different executions. The only thing that remained of her was a big red button attached to a remote control that said Emergency Override.

"Hey, is that..."

Kyoko nodded in response to Aoi's question and finished "It's likely the button to disable Junko's security system and open the hatch in the entrance hall."

Aoi and Yasuhiro cheered "Yes! We can finally get out of here!"

Byakuya smirked in victory while Genocide Jack cackled with glee, though she did pout afterwards "Darn! I was looking forward to crucifying her with my beautiful scissors! It would have been a glorious tribute to Master!"

Seeing Makoto's blanched look of horror worsen, Kyoko spoke up "This may be a good time to gather whatever things we need before we leave. We should also get whatever food we'll need from the kitchen and warehouse as well. Makoto and I will join you after we collect the Escape Switch."

Nodding, the four survivors disappeared into the elevator, their mix faces of glee and contentment disappearing after activating the elevator, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone in the trial room.

"...Makoto..." Kyoko tread carefully, recognizing how tumultuous Makoto was from years of having maintained an emotional mask.

"...You didn't send the others away just to gather supplies, right?"

Kyoko shook her head and slowly asked "...How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? I don't know how to feel, Kyoko. I mean..."

Makoto turned to face Kyoko, revealing tears streaming down his face.

"Why did she have to die?" Makoto croaked. "She didn't have to die; we could have let her run for her life once we escaped." He gave a sorrowful laugh that reminded Kyoko of herself back in the Bio Lab as he continued "I don't even know why I'm feeling sorry for her. I mean...she killed ten of our friends. She even killed your father. She doesn't deserve my pity, so why? Why don't I hate her enough to acknowledge that she reaped what she sewed?"

"Makoto..."

Kyoko stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Makoto gasped, struck speechless by Kyoko's gesture, before surrendering to his emotions, sobbing into Kyoko's jacket as he finally dealt with the emotions that had swirled in him during the entire adventure at Hope's Peak.

"Makoto, you're the Ultimate Hope; you gave us all hope, you pushed us to not give in to our negative emotions and made us believe that we would survive another day. If you fell victim to that hatred too, then you might have fallen to despair too." Smiling, she rubbed his back as she assured him "It's not in your nature to hate anybody. You're not the kind of person that would wish death on another, no matter what they had done. It was that good-hearted nature that allowed you to befriend all of us after we lost our memories and kept us together in the most trying of times. Don't ever feel ashamed of that, because it's thanks to you that we're about to escape from here alive!"

Kyoko looked down to see if Makoto was reacting at all to what she was saying Though he had yet to stop sobbing, it was at a less audible volume. Kyoko took that ot mean that he was slowly starting to feel better, so she continued.

"As for why Junko insisted on dying...I don't have an answer for that. I don't think anyone present today will have an answer for that. She was so nonsensical that even I couldn't figure out anything about what made her tick. I will say this though; she clearly wasn't happy with her life at Hope's Peak, for whatever reason. Maybe in her own way, she was suffering too. So...maybe by defeating her and pushing her to the edge...perhaps we ended up doing her a favor. She won't hurt anyone ever again...including herself. Is this making sense?"

 _So...she's at peace? I guess...I guess I can understand that. If she didn't feel happy at all in life...then maybe this truly was for the best...even if I can't comprehend it._

Makoto nodded and sniffled, then looked up to her, smiling as he rubbed his tears away with his wrist, his cheeks tinted with a faint shade of pink.

"Thanks Kyoko...sorry I lost it back there..."

"It's okay. Any normal person would be just as distraught after having witnessed that much death in such a short time. You have every right to cry a little if it helps."

The two of them heard a loud groaning sound as the elevator door opened again on their floor. Kyoko then let go of him before walking over to the blood splattered floor and picking up the Escape Switch before handing it to Makoto.

"Well, shall we get going?"

As Kyoko started walking away, Makoto grinned, yelling "Hey Kyoko, wait up!"

He chased after her, eager to finally face the world with his new friends.

 _No...they're much more than my friends now. We're family!_


	8. Epilogue

A/N: Well, here we are; this is the last chapter! It's been a wild ride and I hope that you all enjoyed it. Special thanks to warrior of six blades for his input on the Prologue and Chapter One, and to Davie232 for his input on Chapter Five and Chapter Six. Thanks as well to everyone else who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. I hope you found this story to be an enjoyable and relatively accurate novelization of Trigger Happy Havoc. Let me know in the review section what you thought of the Epilogue and of the story overall. Thanks again, and see you soon!

Epilogue

"We can't just stand around like this forever. At some point, we need to leave."

All six survivors were now standing in front of the metal hatch in the entrance hall. Ironically, after weeks of complaining that they wanted to get out of there, they were all struck with a sense of hesitation. Everyone looked at the Escape Switch currently held in Makoto's trembling hands. All of the others were empty-handed; though they originally wanted to bring backups of clothes and sacks of food, they quickly found that Junko had destroyed any and all carrying bags from the warehouse during the final investigation, so their ability to pack for the journey ahead of them was limited by what they could carry in their pockets. So rather than stuff as much as they could in their pockets, the group had decided to leave Hope's Peak with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Placing her gloved hand on top of his own to steady his nerves, Kyoko smiled and asked "Makoto, would you do the honors?"

Still skeptic, Aoi hesitantly asked "Is that really the key to this door…?"

"You don't have to read into what she said too much to find the answer." Kyoko deduced "I will force you out. She said that, just before dropping that. It makes sense that it would be our way out of here."

"Maybe it's actually a switch that's gonna make the school self-destruct!" Yasuhiro objected, sharing Aoi's skepticism as he continued "I mean, Junko never specifically said that she'd let us leave here alive!"

"You may be right about that" Kyoko acquiesced the possibility of the switch being a trap. _But I have hope, thanks to Makoto, the Ultimate Hope...and the Ultimate Lucky Student._

Byakuya stated that they would try it anyway, with Yasuhiro reluctantly agreeing. Genocide JAck expressed her own confidence that nothing would happen to Byakuya, before sneezing and upon reverting to Toko, being filled in by Aoi and dreaming, much to Byakuya's disgust, of getting married and having the former Ultimate Affluent Progeny's children.

"Anyway, don't worry. I have no doubt that we'll be able to leave here without a problem."

As everyone expressed anxiety at facing the outside world, Makoto energetically reminded them that even though there would undoubtedly be despair in that world, there would also be lots of hope.

Smiling with inspiration at Makoto's speech, Kyoko mused "The act of searching for hope, to try and find it - that by itself is the true meaning of hope. As long as you have that hope, you can keep moving forward no matter what trouble you may fall into. Is that what you mean, Makoto?"

"Y-Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it."

As Byakuya, Aoi, and Yasuhiro eagerly talked about their dreams for the future, Kyoko and Makoto smiled at each other, the Ultimate Detective filling with hope as she looked at Makoto.

"Come on, Makoto. Even if everyone in the outside world is gone...Even if the world is steeped in despair...As long as I have people like you around, I can face forward and keep moving." _Don't you mean, as long as you're around?_ Blushing slightly, she shook her head and continued "If we can get out there and do something, have some sort of impact…"

Nodding in silent agreement at Kyoko's unspoken thoughts, Makoto along with everyone else turned their attention back to the door.

"I can't say I'm sorry about what happened, but still...It does feel kind of strange…"

"I guess we...graduated?" Makoto offered, not really sure what to say to that.

 _We...graduated...Yes, I think that fits..._ Kyoko mused as Makoto pushed the big red button.

As the door opened and the guns deactivated, Kyoko grabbed Makoto's hand, lacing their fingers together as she smiled sweetly, the both of them blushing slightly.

 _Alright world...here we come!_

XXX

Makoto sprang up, hyperventilating as he was thrust from his slumber. It took him a moment to discern that his mouth was being blocked by a certain fabric.

 _Is that...leather? That must be a glove. That means…_

"Don't shout. Everyone else is still asleep."

His eyes widening, Makoto turned his vision to see Kyoko sitting behind him, her hand slapped over his mouth to prevent him from crying out. Makoto looked around to see everyone lying in the grey, metal area, still fast asleep.

 _Oh yeah; we're still in the helicopter from the Future Foundation…_

It wasn't long after opening the hatch and escaping outside that they saw the outside world; bathed in crimson and filled with the rubble remains of what were once skyscrapers, it became apparent that Junko wasn't lying when she said that the outside world was filled with despair. Soon after they took a few steps forward however, they were stopped in their tracks when a helicopter descended right in front of them. Before they could even wonder what was going on, a man stepped out and said that he was from one of the divisions of the Future Foundation.

Informing them of the Future Foundation's goal, he offered the surviving group a chance to start a new life by coming to the Future Foundation HQ. Since they didn't exactly have many other options, the group nodded and complied, following the strange man onto the helicopter which then took off. They were promptly set up in the lobby of the helicopter and left to their own devices as the Future Foundation member left for the cockpit.

"Are you going to make anymore noise?"

Kyoko whispered in his ear, to which Makoto shook his head. Satisfied, she removed her hand from his mouth, allowing the newly christened Ultimate Hope to get some much needed air. He then turned to Kyoko with a nervous and guilty expression on his face.

"Did I...did I wake you, Kyoko?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko reassured him "I've never really slept well when I'm anxious, and I remember that I've gotten used to staying awake at any odd hours of the day ever since I was trained to be a detective."

 _That must be why she handed over her key to Byakuya so easily, and why she volunteered to guard Alter Ego during the night…_ Changing the subject, Makoto asked "Any sign that we're close to the Future Foundation?"

Frowning, Kyoko replied "No, we haven't seen any well-kept buildings or structures for hours; when I asked the pilots, they told me that the only reason that they picked us up so soon was that they were in the area already."

"Oh, I see..."

Frowning at the haunted look in his eye that she caught, Kyoko asked "...Are you okay, Makoto?"

A little too quickly for her liking, Makoto answered "It's nothing, really - "

"Makoto..." Kyoko interrupted warningly, making Makoto look at the floor in guilt. Kyoko's eyes softened as she prodded "Did something happen?"

 _Should have known I couldn't keep a secret from her; it was foolish to even try…_ Sighing, Makoto's shoulders slumped as he replied "Just a bad dream, I guess..."

"...Would you like to talk about it?"

Makoto looked up, surprised by Kyoko's willingness to get him to talk about his nightmares.

 _If I don't tell her, then she'll just get angry with me like she did when I kept that secret about Sakura and Monokuma. Plus, I trust Kyoko the most out of anybody…_ "Okay, I'll tell you..."

Makoto took a deep breath and, after looking up and behind him to see Kyoko's attentive stare, began his recap.

"I was...back at Hope's Peak...in the trial room. It was the fifth trial all over again..."

 _I suspected as much...That was the worst trial of all for him...for both of us._

As Kyoko squeezed his shoulder, Makoto continued "I was at the point where Monokuma had tied me to the desk. Then the conveyor belt started and the weight at the end started pounding. I...I wanted to shake free but I couldn't move at all. All I could hear was the bang of the weight getting louder and louder as I got closer."

Kyoko could see Makoto start to get a panicked expression, making her worry. She reached down and squeezed his hand, calming him down for the moment as she reassured him.

"Don't feel like you have to get it all out at once. Take as much time as you need..."

Smiling gratefully at the Ultimate Detective, Makoto continued "My nightmare continued the same way the execution did, but this time...this time Alter Ego never came back." Makoto had tears streaming down his cheeks as he finished "The weight came crashing down on me, and just as it was about to squash me like a pancake, I woke up."

 _That explains why he was jerking around so much…_

Kyoko looked down, guilt once more entering her heart as she recalled the circumstances that led to Makoto going through that execution in the first place.

 _It's my fault. That execution may not have killed him, but it clearly traumatized him. I have nobody to blame but myself._

She recoiled slightly as she heard a laugh just audible enough for her to hear it come from Makoto's mouth; a sorrowful laugh that betrayed Makoto's emotions.

"I don't even know why I'm being such a baby about this. I shouldn't be crying; I should be grateful that I'm still alive. Grateful that I'm leaving Hope's Peak and going somewhere that doesn't make us wonder day in and day out whether we'll be alive the next morning. I'm...so pitiful..."

Sighing, Kyoko made a silent decision; she took her right glove and tugged it off with her left hand, placing the accessory near her legs before grabbing Makoto's right hand with her own. Makoto gasped at the pressure and looked down. His eyes widened in shock before looking back up at Kyoko's face.

"Crying about what happened doesn't make you a baby, Makoto. Any reasonable man would be traumatized with what we all saw, nevermind the execution you survived. And we're no longer in mortal danger; we don't have to power through without adequately dealing with our emotions like we had to during Junko's killing game."

"Kyoko...your hand..."

Smiling, Kyoko explained "I once swore that I'd only show my ungloved hands to those I considered close enough to be family. I exposed them during the trial because they were key to exposing Junko. Right now...I'm showing them to you because I trust you without question."

Blushing, Makoto uttered "Kyoko..."

Kyoko moved her hand to that it was touching his left cheek as she angled his face towards hers and continued "You're not pitiful, Makoto. You were brave and strong throughout this whole madness. But you're also human, Makoto. It's simply not reasonable to expect you to walk away from what you did and not feel at all traumatized with what you endured, because what you endured can't be described as anything except traumatizing. So don't worry about how it makes you look. Cry if you need to cry, talk if you need to talk. Nobody will think any less of you, I promise." _Don't you mean, you won't think any less of him?_

Shaking her head, Kyoko used her hand to wipe one of the tear tracks from Makoto's face as he closed his eyes momentarily and uttered "Thank you..."

Smiling, Kyoko told him "It's probably going to be some time before we get close to the Future Foundation...you should try and get some more sleep."

His cheeks turning red, Makoto admitted "I...I don't want to go back to sleep. At least not yet..."

 _Why wouldn't he...oh…_ "You're afraid you'll dream about the execution again, aren't you?"

Nodding, Makoto shivered, wrapping his arms around his torso as he confessed "I...I don't wanna...go back there. I won't go back there..."

Kyoko could hear the cry in his voice as Makoto looked down at the ground in embarrassment as tears fell anew, trembling with trauma and fear. Coming to another silent decision, Kyoko sighed as she put her glove back on and wrapped her arms around his waist, dragging him closer to her until his back was pressed against her.

"K-Kyoko!"

She leaned into his ear, making Makoto shiver as Kyoko whispered "Nobody's going to make you go back there, Makoto. You'll never have to be on that conveyor belt, at that desk, or under that weight ever again. I won't let anyone try it..."

She tightened her arms around him, trying to convey that she would protect him. Surrendering to Kyoko's protection, he lay his palms against her gloved knuckles and leaned against her, his head cradled in the crook of her neck and his ahoge tickling her throat. Kyoko smiled as she at last heard him snore; the same snore that she heard for the first time the night she took guard duty over Alter Ego.

 _I can't say for certain whether or not I love him per se...but he's definitely family. And I'll protect my family from anything that tries to hurt them...no matter what the cost!_

Squeezing Makoto protectively, the Ultimate Detective relaxed her chin on top of Makoto's head as she allowed herself to doze off, her anxiety about their future lifted with the knowledge that her family was safe and sound under her protection.

Neither of them noticed when a blue eye cracked open halfway, it's owner's mouth curling upward in a satisfied smirk at the scene that had just played out.

 _It's about time!_


End file.
